The China threat: from TikTok to Taiwan | Secrets of Statecraft | Andrew Roberts | Hoover Institution
Mar 15, 2024
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US Congressman Mike Gallagher discusses the threat of China from TikTok to Taiwan, highlighting the potential conflict scenarios, importance of maintaining American hard power, risks of TikTok propaganda, foreign ownership of media outlets, threats in the Middle East and Ukraine crisis, congressional reform, and post-political plans.
China aims to replace US as superpower, promoting socialist ideology globally.
Separating TikTok from ByteDance is vital to prevent foreign propaganda influence.
Deep dives
Chinese Communist Party's Ambition
The Chinese Communist Party aims to replace the US as the world's superpower and reshape the global order in their favor. They seek to render the US-led global order irrelevant and promote their socialist ideology while positioning China as the dominant global power.
Tensions Involving Taiwan
The potential conflict regarding Taiwan is highlighted as a critical concern in the Indo-Pacific region. Taking Taiwan could disrupt US alliance commitments in the region, impacting relations with Japan and the Philippines, significantly weakening US presence.
Concerns About TikTok
The ownership structure of TikTok, a Chinese-owned app, raises fears of it being used for propaganda and data tracking due to its ties with the Chinese Communist Party. The call to separate TikTok from ByteDance is rooted in the concern of allowing a foreign adversary to control a major news platform.
US-Israel Relations and Gaza Conflict
The need to prioritize disabling Hamas as a threat to Israel before addressing a ceasefire in Gaza is emphasized. A premature ceasefire could empower Hamas and undermine Israel's security. The discussion also includes the importance of revitalizing relations with Israel and maintaining regional stability.