Dear Friends of IWP,
In case you were not able to join us virtually last Wednesday for our webinar “The Virus and the China Threat,” you can find the video by clicking here: https://youtu.be/Iy4wSvYkaok
I answered questions from webinar host John Lovewell, IWP Chairman, and members of the audience, about the continuing communist nature of the Chinese regime, the many dimensions of the threat from China, and the implications of Chinese behavior during the current virus crisis. I shared my recommendations for U.S. policy and commented on how the Institute is preparing leaders to meet the challenge from China.
Among the many issues we discussed, I noted that the American policy of friendship with China that began with Nixon and Kissinger led to a moral-strategic confusion about the nature of the Chinese regime. I listed a good number of the Chinese Communist Party’s actions inimical to our national security, of which too many Americans are unaware. I also explained why so many of our government, corporate, media, and academic leaders have turned a blind eye to Chinese human rights violations, military buildup, espionage, and influence operations: too many of them have been, in effect, “owned,” corrupted, or otherwise neutralized by China. The resulting self-censorship means that the American people, until recently, have not been hearing the full truth.
With regard to our current situation, I discussed how the Chinese regime has been addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and how its policies – including disinformation and suppression of its people – are characteristic of the Chinese regime, whose primary domestic goal is internal security. This entire episode has served as a wake-up call to many Americans about the totalitarian and aggressive nature of the Chinese regime and the dangerous depths of our dependence on China for pharmaceuticals and the supply chains for our defense systems.
Finally, I discussed how our graduates are having a disproportionate impact in mitigating the threat from China and helping preserve our security and way of life. They have a command of strategic planning and neglected arts of statecraft like counterintelligence, political influence, public diplomacy, and psychological warfare, that is very rare in our national security agencies. Consequently, they are serving very effectively in some of the most sensitive leadership positions. Several of them have received the highest awards in the intelligence field for their professional work.
Thank you for everything you to do make our school possible. Through the work of our faculty, students, and alumni, your gifts have had – and continue to have – a disproportionate impact on the future of our nation’s security.
With abiding gratitude and all my best wishes,
John L.
John Lenczowski, Ph.D.
Founder and President
The Institute of World Politics
E – jlenczowski@iwp.edu
P – 202.462.2101
A – 1521 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
www.iwp.edu
