PHOTOS BY GETTY BY REUTERS AP; PHOTOS IMAGES; WEEK 53, 2020 CHINA INSIDER ONE YEAR AN ONGOING COVERUP ON BY THE CCP See Page 4 2 | CHINA INSIDER Week 53, 2020 Week 53, 2020 CHINA INSIDER | 3 systems, as well as navigation and early OPINION warning satellites, could be among the targets of attacks designed to ‘blind and deafen the enemy.’” In the 2019 version of the report, defense officials said that China “continues to de- Behind the CCP’s Fervent Denial velop counterspace capabilities and related technologies, including kinetic-kill mis- siles, ground-based lasers, and orbiting of Interfering in the US Election space robots, as well as expanding space surveillance capabilities, which can moni- tor objects across the globe and in space ZHONG YUAN didn’t directly mention election in- and enable counterspace actions.” terference, but Wang took the initia- Left unchecked, China could shut down An eye-catching report published on tive to address the topic—a mistake the United States. All of it. Including our Dec. 17 on the homepage of the Chi- on his part. This question wasn’t military. nese Communist Party (CCP)-run arranged in advance, as is often the media Xinhua website stated, “The case with Chinese journalists who Ministry of Foreign Affairs Refutes attend the regime’s press briefings. Influencing U.S. Presidential Elec- Instead, Wang just blurted out tions: Completely Fabricated.” those words without preparing a Dethroning the United States Chinese state media reports on the script. The reporter’s question suc- as the world’s prevailing U.S. presidential election—and their cessfully caught something big. expressed attitudes toward the two Wang’s response was a slip of the superpower has long been an candidates—have fluctuated greatly. tongue, although as long as no one ambition of communist China. Of course, the Party has its eyes on mentions it deliberately, the moment And, over the last decade they’ve Democratic Party candidate Joe will pass. However, what’s strange is Biden. But as allegations of election that Xinhua made it the focus of an stepped up efforts to bring this fraud and Chinese interference have article, and deliberately emphasized dream to fruition prior to 2049, surfaced, the Party is worried that the statement. On the surface, it the year that marks the 100th the truth could be revealed soon. seems illogical, but in essence, it re- CCP media has been cautious in flects real concerns of the CCP lead- anniversary of the founding of general in its coverage, for fear of being ership. Wang’s response was clearly the People’s Republic of China. implicated in election fraud, which the result of repeated warnings by would attract a strong U.S. reaction. the CCP’s high-level officials: You However, Xinhua’s denial of CCP must categorically deny intervening interference in the U.S. election, at in U.S. elections at all times. What’s at Stake around the same time the Senate While Wang naturally kept this Steven Kwast, a retired Air Force lieuten- Committee on Homeland Security in mind, he accidentally “copy and ant general, spoke at Hillsdale College in and Governmental Affairs held a pasted” the answer to the wrong November 2019 and delivered a powerful hearing on election irregularities, is, question. lecture on what’s at stake in the race for in fact, indirectly hinting at its guilt. A growing list of U.S. sanctions on The Space Force logo. space dominance. The core of Xinhua’s report can Chinese companies and officials “The power of space will change world be summarized with these words CCP media has must have triggered fierce debates power forever,” Kwast said. from Foreign Ministry spokesperson been cautious within the Party, as regime leader “It’s like America is a race car that has Wang Wenbin: “China is committed in general in its Xi Jinping’s authority is again being OPINION been winning races for 70 years since World to the principle of non-interference. challenged. And the U.S. counterat- War II. We’re going 90 miles an hour, and Claims about China influencing U.S. coverage, for fear tack hasn’t ended. This is what the we’ve done it that way since World War II. presidential elections are completely of being implicated CCP leadership is most worried It’s our entire mindset, our entire lives the fabricated.” in election fraud, about. They cannot stop the United Chinese Communist Aggression same way. China is in a car right behind Wang was responding to a Bloom- which would States from counterattacking, but us. The car isn’t as good, but it’s going 120 berg reporter’s question during a the top officials don’t want to take miles an hour.” regular press briefing. attract a strong U.S. responsibility for the consequences. Kwast holds degrees in astronautical The reporter asked, “A statement reaction. Wang’s panic-stricken denial re- engineering and public policy, is a former from the Office of the U.S. Director flects the Party’s internal state. Is Why the US Space Force Is fighter pilot, and was a commander of the of National Intelligence John Rat- People within the CCP know that Air Education and Training Command at cliffe said on Wednesday night that such moves are part of the Party’s Joint Base San-Antonio Randolph. a deadline to submit a classified playbook to deflect attention from He also presents the nightmarish reality report to Congress on foreign efforts their mistakes: blame the United that China is “building an entire method of to sway the November 3rd election States for the continued deteriora- Imperative being able to have a blanket of power over will not be met. That’s because di- tion of U.S.–China relations; incite America in space that can bring directed rector Ratcliffe is said to be refusing nationalism, and play tough to energy to paralyze our power grids, para- to sign off on the report unless it maintain the CCP’s authority in the lyze our cars, paralyze our military, disrupt more fully reflects the national se- country. ADRIAN NORMAN of economic, technological, and military disruptor. our markets.” curity threat posed by China. Does Wang’s gaffe and the Party media’s hegemony in perpetuity. As it stands, the “There is evidence that the arrival of “We can say today, we are dominant in the ministry have any comment on overly zealous denial only expose In 2018, President Donald Chinese are aggressively positioning to high-speed internet access, if it spreads space. But the trend lines is what you have this situation?” how the CCP leadership is running Trump directed the U.S. secure this role for themselves. widely enough, can enhance productiv- to look at. And they [China] will pass us in The reporter carefully thought out out of ideas about how to deal with Department of Defense “Chinese military writings state that the ity and transform local economies,” wrote the next few years if we do not do some- how to phrase the question to elicit the United States. (DoD) to create a sixth goal of space warfare and space operations science journalist Chris Baraniuk for the thing. And they will win this race, and then an impromptu answer from the branch of the U.S. Armed is to achieve space superiority,” states a BBC. “In India, for instance, farmers and they will put roadblocks up to space,” he spokesperson. And indeed, that ap- Zhong Yuan is a researcher focused Forces, now known as the 2019 report called “Global Counterspace fishers using mobile phones to check prices said. “Because once you get the ultimate pears to have happened. on China’s political system, the U.S. Space Force, which was Capabilities” by the Secure World Foun- and weather conditions increased profits high ground, that strategic high ground, Wang said, “Not long ago, the U.S. country’s democratization process, formally established in December 2019. dation. by 8%.” it’s curtains for anybody trying to get to Director of National Intelligence human rights situation, and Chinese Though some have poked fun at the new “Space superiority is defined as ‘ensur- Wider connectivity means expanded eco- that high ground behind them.” called China “national security citizens’ livelihoods. He began writ- military branch after it recently revealed ing one’s ability to fully use space while at nomic opportunity and the chance at a bet- China under the Communist Party is a threat No. 1,” referring to Ratcliffe’s ing commentaries for the Chinese- that its troops would be called “Guard- the same time limiting, weakening, and ter life for millions of people. But, a hostile nation that has gross human rights viola- op-ed for the Wall Street Journal. language edition of The Epoch Times ians,” the circumstances necessitating our destroying an adversary’s space forces.’ It nation with control of the space domain tions, carries out forced organ harvesting, Then Wang said, “China is com- in 2020. Space Force are no laughing matter—the not only includes offensive and defensive could be able to interdict technologies like and went so far as welding people into their mitted to the principle of non-inter- president’s directive was pursuant to a operations in space against an adversary’s space-based internet access and prevent own homes as the CCP (Chinese Commu- ference. Claims about China influ- Views expressed in this article are the growing threat posed by two of America’s space forces, but also air, ground, and naval anyone they choose from accessing those nist Party) virus (commonly known as the encing U.S.