China as a Central Threat

China poses a significant threat to global stability, particularly due to its ambitions to replace the United States as the leading economic and military superpower. Unlike Islamic terrorism, which focuses on chaos, China seeks to establish a world order where it dominates economically and politically. Senator Tom Cotton emphasizes the distinct nature of this threat, noting how China's economy and continental size enable it to challenge U.S. supremacy more effectively than any terrorist organization could. As such, the rise of China should be treated as the defining foreign policy issue of our time.