LEAD Founder Mike Rogers in The Washington Times: China-Russia collusion comes at expense of American interests

As former Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, LEAD founder Mike Rogers is a national leader on issues of foreign policy. In a recent op-ed, he says a coalition between Russia and China is dangerous for America.

“Make no mistake about it: Russia and China share the same ambitions in the near term: to unseat the United States, undermine the West, and end the rule of law on the international stage.”

LEAD Founder Mike Rogers

China is aggressively expanding its nuclear arsenal, which will be among the most modern in the world. It is fielding increasingly capable hypersonic missiles. It now has the world’s largest navy and is establishing its military dominance in the South China Sea.

Simply put, China is becoming more assertive, more aggressive and more ambitious on the world stage — at the expense of American interests.

At the same time, Russia is continuing its disastrous war in Ukraine. With hundreds of thousands of casualties, an increasingly depleted conventional military, and the severing of 30 years of economic connectivity with the West, the future of Russia is terribly bleak. Mr. Putin knows this and is trying to avoid this reality. At home, he is becoming increasingly authoritarian. Abroad, he is turning to the few partners he has left — mainly, China.

Make no mistake about it: Russia and China share the same ambitions in the near term: to unseat the United States, undermine the West, and end the rule of law on the international stage.

This is not idle speculation, but rather the words of Messrs. Xi and Putin, who recently said they “urge the United States to stop undermining international and regional security and global strategic stability in order to maintain its own unilateral military superiority,” a rich comment coming from the countries most responsible for destabilizing the international order.

There is no downside for China in this relationship, even in the face of war in Ukraine. Even a minor victory for Russia against Ukraine and its Western backers would be a win for Mr. Xi. The West would be discredited, and the Kremlin would herald its victory.

If China manages to act as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv (an unlikely prospect — its 12-point plan is hardly a framework to resolve the war), Beijing comes out on top, looking like a global statesman. If Russia loses, as appears increasingly likely, Moscow will become even more beholden to Beijing — a process that is already well underway.

This is an excerpt from LEAD Founder Mike Roger’s opinion piece in The Washington Post. For the full op-ed, click here.