Dictator in the Making: China's Perilous Challenge to the United States

China's Xi Jinping has taken an unprecedented third term as head of the Chinese Communist Party. In the process, he's surrounded himself with allies, pushing out all others. There are concerns that Xi will essentially become president for life and China watchers warn that scenario presents a perilous challenge to the United States and the world.

Members of the CCP applauded the  accomplishments of Xi during their recent 20th Party Congress in Beijing where they reaffirmed his role as China's president. 

"It's clear that he is going to continue to lead the Chinese Communist Party forward...the things that people find terribly egregious about the Chinese Communist Party, in particular, his leadership of the party, are going to continue and accelerate," said U.S. Air Force (ret.) Brigadier General Robert Spalding.

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Spalding is the CEO of Sempre and author of the new book, War Without Rules: China's Playbook for Global Domination. 

Appearing on the CBN News program The Global Lane, Spalding suggested that Xi is likely to increase Christian and Uyghur persecution, promote anti-U.S. alliances, and expand China's military reach around the world.

In his book, Spalding writes that the CCP is in a continual state of war without rules. 

So, where might China dominate militarily – on the sea with an expanded navy, leaps forward in outer space, cyberspace, or A.I.? 

Spalding insists it is all of the above, and he predicts China will face a big challenge from U.S. semiconductor technology.  

"Now that the Biden administration has gone after the chip industry, assisting them in elevating their chip technology, I think they're going to be hindered by that," he said.

While Spalding believes Xi may invade Taiwan in the coming months, Jason Ho with Teklium Inc., a Silicon Valley tech company, doesn’t think China would risk a hot war with the United States.

The Taiwanese American sees the CCP as already capturing Taiwan through pro-communist relationships.

"Taiwanese elite and the Chinese elite, actually, they are close," Ho explained. "They have very close family ties – China and Taiwan – and all those relationships (are) very sophisticated."

And despite tough talk from President Biden and other leaders, Ho said China has strong business ties in the United States such as Hollywood and professional sports like the NBA, along with major influence on social media. 

"We can criticize Russia, but we cannot talk about China," Ho insisted. "This is very well-planned. They know how to use Taiwan. They know how to use duality to achieve their goals."

One big step to counter China according to Spalding came in August when President Biden signed the Chips and Science Act. That law provides billions in subsidies and tax credits to help expand the U.S. semiconductor industry. That raised the ire of the CCP.

"What they're saying is they've essentially decapitated China's ability to evolve their chip industry. So, that's a good first start. Clearly not enough because there's other things like pharmaceuticals and rare earth metals that we've got to get after. But if we keep those up, I think we're on a good path," he said.

It's a necessary path, said Spalding, for slowing China's long march to global dominance.

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