China's Strategy of Political Warfare: Views from Congress

In August, the CSIS International Security Program released one of the most comprehensive analyses to date of Chinese political warfare. The report, titled “Competing Without Fighting,” examines how China is conducting an unprecedented campaign below the threshold of armed conflict designed to expand the influence of the Chinese Communist Party and weaken the United States and its partners.

This campaign of Chinese espionage, offensive cyber operations, disinformation on social media platforms, economic coercion, and influence operations targeting companies and universities comes at a time of renewed great power competition. Congress has been particularly focused on this issue in the past year, with several committees exploring the many dimensions of competition with China and legislative efforts on issues from technology to Taiwan.

Author of the report and CSIS senior vice president, Dr. Seth G. Jones, will be joined by a leading voice in Congress, Rep. Rob Wittman, to discuss the approach Congress has taken to address Chinese political warfare. Elected in 2007, Congressman Wittman serves as Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, as well as a member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Dr. Jones and Rep. Wittman will discuss how the report's findings inform the work of Congress both now and in the future.

This event was made possible through general support to CSIS.