logo

China Continues to Expand Its Influence into Africa

image
Author: David Yee
Created: 03 July, 2014
Updated: 14 October, 2022
2 min read

The People's Daily News reported this week that the Chinese ministry of public security has deployed an armed peace-keeping force to Liberia. This represents an ever-expanding Chinese strategy of forming alliances and exerting military and political power in areas ignored by Western powers.

Liberia, once an American colony for repatriated slaves returning to Africa, has spent much of the prior two decades in civil war and social turmoil. The UN established a peace-keeping mission in 2003.

In 2013, the United States contributed just 132 personnel, while China contributed 2,188.

America's military priorities, at least for the time being, are in the Middle East, Syria, North Korea, and the Ukraine.

For years, a strong sense of isolationism has been inherent in the American population -- that we shouldn't be the world's police force. This view tends to ignore the fact that most of our consumer goods, our oil, and food all come from outside the United States.

Right or wrong, we are a nation of voracious consumers.

The United States accounts for only 5 percent of the world's population, but we consume over 25 percent of its fossil fuels. The consumption is endless, yet is typified by the fact that there are more cars in the United States than drivers.

This is not a piece on the morality (or lack thereof) of our consumerism -- but if we are going to live the life of consumption, we better be prepared to back it up with our military.

Our politicians need to start viewing the Chinese government as a competing force for resources, instead of a most-favored trade partner.

China has conducted a predictable pattern of expanding its influence, both militarily and peacefully, with one goal in mind: a greater ability to compete for the world's limited resources.

We need a foreign policy that is a bit deeper than worrying about what is happening in the Middle East on a daily basis -- one that focuses on strengthening and restoring our traditional trade partners.

More Choice for San Diego

Protecting trade partnerships, protecting the overseas operations of American businesses, and negotiating favorable trade arrangements are essential defenses to this threat.

Fighting the "right" battles might be the difference between our economic superiority or our economic collapse.

Our politicians need to form practical ideas in regard to trade -- not ones that are party-line attempts to push through treaties in the Senate. Party differences are not going to change the fact that China is already off to a good start in limiting our influence abroad.

No photo credit attributed

Latest articles

Brett Smith
Oregon Independence Party Candidate: US Politics 'an Agreed Upon System' of Candidate Suppression and Inaction
Oregon’s 5th Congressional District is a hotly contested political battleground that will be one of a few that will decide who controls Congress in 2025. The Cook Political Voting index has the district as D+2, but it is currently represented by a Republican....
09 October, 2024
-
9 min read
ballots
Unite America: Extreme Minority Rule in America Is Worse Than You Think
The Unite America (UAI) Institute released new analysis Tuesday that found that less and less US voters (down to 7%) are deciding nearly 90% of US House races in taxpayer-funded primary elections. What’s more, the gap between these numbers is widening....
08 October, 2024
-
3 min read
DC
The Electoral Count Reform Act: Everything You Need to Know
All of us remember when Vice President Mike Pence declared Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election at the end of a violent day at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Those were trying times for our country as MAGA loyalists circulated baseless claims of fraud and Donald Trump pressured his vice president to prevent Biden’s win by not counting electoral votes from some states....
08 October, 2024
-
4 min read