Since Russia invaded Ukraine and captured the world’s attention, Pew polling finds Americans have largely shifted their view of Russia from a competitor to an enemy in just two months. But we can’t allow the focus on Russia to become a myopic view of our foreign policy. Remember Iran? North Korea? And most importantly, China.
The same day of Russia’s invasion, the Department of Defense (DoD) released with little fanfare a report detailing a critical threat to American national security. The report warns the United States’ ability to defend itself is dependent on an even bigger threat than Russia: Communist China.
In a 74-page report with 64 recommendations, DOD detailed several areas in which the United States is unable to supply our military with what it needs, including battery production, microelectronics, and metal casting.
Batteries are essential in many defense products to power anything from armored vehicles to night vision goggles. The DoD states that 94 percent of lithium hydroxide, 76 percent of electrolyte, 70 percent of lithium carbonate, and 65 percent of anodes are produced in China. Most batteries are produced outside the United States, but even when they are made within our borders, producers rely on China for the components.
Things are predicted to get worse. The DoD notes that it is expecting reliance on batteries to “accelerate dramatically by 2030” and warned that this transition – which is driven in part by the military’s pledge to be carbon neutral – could “inadvertently grow” China’s dominance.
The military is similarly dependent on microelectronics. Once again, China dominates this industry. There are no commercial producers of the leading-edge 5 nm technology node in the United States.
China specifically has been working to expand its control of microelectronics – no matter what it takes. Along with subsidies for its domestic industry, the DoD says China has expanded its control through “purchases of key microelectronics companies and technology, intellectual property theft, and aggressive talent recruitment.”
Chinese domination of microelectronics has already harmed the U.S. military. “Counterfeit microelectronics components have been identified in multiple DoD systems,” the agency reports. Yet the Biden administration in a replication of “Defund the Police,” has disbanded the China Initiative, a national security program aimed at preventing Chinese economic espionage, after receiving pressure from critics who whined about racial profiling.
Our military’s reliance on China goes down to even the simplest essential product: metal.
The military needs metal casting for everything from protective gear to bullet casings, but China dominates the metal casting industry, producing more than the next seven countries combined and four times as much as the United States.
“DoD counts on foreign countries, including China, for very large cast and forged products used in the production of some defense systems and many machine tools and manufacturing systems in which the DoD is reliant,” the report states.
Our dependence on China isn’t just limited to military supplies. The same day as the DoD report, five other federal agencies issued reports on supply chains. And reliance on China is a common theme.
The Department of Energy observes China’s dominance in solar power and the mining of rare earth minerals–critical components for modern technology. And at a time when we are already facing supply chain issues, the Department of Transportation notes three Chinese companies manufacture 95% of dry cargo containers.
China also controls our antibiotic and generic drug supply. And Taiwan produces about 90% of the world’s advanced semiconductors. A Chinese invasion of Taiwan could cut us off from this critical component.
While the Russian invasion has caused a supply shock in fertilizer, the stakes are much higher with China.
Our national security demands that we move supply chains out of China. This was first flagged by the Trump Administration. Yet work seemingly proceeds at a glacial pace when we need a Manhattan Project-type commitment.
There is no more important national security issue facing the United States than our over-reliance on China. Ensuring that America has security, as well as access to goods, needs to be our top priority.
Will Coggin is the managing director of the American Security Institute (ChinaOwnsUs.com).