Newsletter: Countering China Aggression

Countering China Aggression

China has its sights set on global domination, a world that would be devastating for the United States and for freedom-loving people everywhere.  For too long our nation has acquiesced and even implemented policies to support China’s ambitions.  Meanwhile, the CCP has covertly waged a non-collateral but unrestricted war against the United States.  

Thankfully, we are turning a corner as a nation: re-shoring manufacturing, exposing fraud and abuse that funneled money to the CCP, developing non-CCP supply chains, bolstering defense, and more.  This last month, we’ve been working to ensure the United States and its allies are prepared to win the future amidst the challenges we face.

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National Defense Briefing at the Pentagon

The President and the Pentagon have called for a one-time $1.5 trillion investment to boost our military capabilities. I joined Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Deputy Secretary Steve Feinberg, and a small group of Members of Congress for a briefing inside the Pentagon’s National Military Command Center. Department leaders walked us through the global threat landscape, including China’s rapid military buildup and the capabilities the Department of War is prioritizing to maintain America’s military edge in air, sea, space, and cyberspace.

Ensuring that the Pentagon is cleaning up past bad contracting practices and that our investment will provide our men and women in uniform with the most advanced, capable, and lethal systems has been a key factor in those discussions.  Here is some of the work the Pentagon has been doing to be a better steward of the taxpayer dollar: DoW: From Bureaucracy to Business… 

Our troops need the resources to stay ahead of our adversaries, and our district is a key part of the industrial base supporting this effort. The defense and aerospace sectors in District 27 continue to drive innovation and production that strengthen our nation’s military and homefront security.

Also, it was certainly nice to see the Pentagon sporting the red, white, and blue again.

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RIMPAC Trip to Solidify Texas’s Role in America’s Pacific Defense 

Next, I was off to observe the RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) military exercises, bringing together 30 of our allies in the world’s largest international maritime exercise.  The trip included briefings and site visits with U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and the Pearl Harbor Shipyard, along with a tour of Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay.

China continues to expand its naval fleet at a faster pace than American shipbuilding, raising questions about how the U.S. can keep its edge in the Indo-Pacific region.

This was an opportunity to ask Navy leadership how Congress can help close the gap in shipbuilding and sustainment capacity, starting with South Texas. Naval Air Station Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Army Depot are well-positioned to support the production and maintenance of autonomous naval assets, and our region’s skilled workforce and business-friendly environment make it a natural fit for expanded investment.

The U.S. cannot afford to let China continue to out-produce our Navy in submarines and surface ships. Texas has the workforce, the land, and the right conditions to help rebuild America’s naval strength, and Washington needs to invest in that opportunity.

Finally, I spent a week visiting our key allies in the region participating in a congressional delegation to South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.  This was an opportunity to get a first-hand briefing on the security situation in the region, encourage our allies to strengthen their defenses as well as foster key economic partnerships between these nations and Texas.

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South Korea

In South Korea, we met with U.S. Forces Korea for a security briefing and a tour along the DMZ. Additionally, we met with leaders in the shipbuilding and semiconductor industry, including Samsung and HD Hyundai, to discuss South Korea’s commitment to invest $350 billion in the United States, an investment that already includes Samsung’s $37 billion semiconductor facility in Taylor, Texas.  The delegation also met with US-based Coupang, often called the “Amazon of Korea,” to explore ways to open the Korean market to more Texas-made products.

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Japan

Japan is home to the U.S. 7th Fleet, the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed fleet tasked with protecting our allies, promoting free sea trade, and deterring regional conflicts with regions like China and North Korea.  After a briefing with the Commander, we went aboard the destroyer USS Ralph Johnson, met with the crew, and observed battle drills.  Additionally, I met with the US Ambassador to Japan,  Japanese government ministries, and industry leaders to discuss shipbuilding and semiconductor manufacturing investment in the US.  Additionally, I spoke with Japanese officials about their interest in the Matagorda Ship Channel and what it could mean for trade between our nations.

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Taiwan

Eighty to ninety percent of the world’s most advanced semiconductors that power high-performance computing, smartphones, and AI are manufactured in Taiwan. Taiwan also remains in the CCP China’s sights for potential invasion as early as 2027.  While in Taiwan, we met with President Lai Ching-te, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, and Taiwan’s top defense and foreign affairs officials. Taiwan has made strides in preparing for its defense and is weighing legislation to further increase its defense spending.  In our meetings and in a press conference from their Presidential Office Building. We encouraged the continued bolstering of their defense spending in the effort to deter aggression from across the Taiwan Strait. We also thanked them for the great investments they continue to make in Texas. Texas has a direct stake in America’s economic and security ties with the Indo-Pacific.

As China works to pressure our allies, trips like this help secure the investment, trade, and defense partnerships that support Texas jobs and keep America safe.

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UPCOMING: New World Screwworm Event August 19th

Congressman Cloud is hosting a New World Screwworm Expert Panel to bring constituents the latest on this growing threat to Texas livestock and agriculture.

Hear directly from state and federal experts on what is being done to protect our herds and how you can stay informed. Seating is limited, so please make sure to RSVP for the event!

You can RSVP and save your seat at our event page by click here. 

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In the Media

Washington Examiner: Ceuta was the warning shot. America is next unless Congress acts.

Fox News: House Republicans threaten to cut Smithsonian funding over ‘woke’ history | Fox News

God Bless

Rep. Michael Cloud

Member of Congress