The United States House of Representatives Special Committee Chairman, John Moolenaar, pointed out that the Chinese Communist Party has become a key “enabler” of conflicts globally, along with countries like Russia and Iran.
At the same time, the latest intelligence shows that while the US and Israel are launching military strikes against Iran to destroy its nuclear program and missile production capabilities, Chinese companies continue to provide key chemical precursors to Iran for solid fuel production, aiding in the rebuilding of its missile program.
Last Friday, April 3rd, Moolenaar was invited by the Washington-based think tank, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), to have a discussion with the organization’s founder and chairman, Clifford May, to explore US-China relations.
During the interview, Moolenaar strongly criticized China’s global positioning, stating, “I see China (the CCP) as an enabler.”
He mentioned that the CCP is subsidizing military and terrorist activities in sanctioned countries like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela by purchasing their sanctioned oil. Furthermore, he pointed out that China is using a “shadow fleet” consisting of thousands of ships to evade international sanctions in strategic regions, transporting oil to China to fuel its industrial growth.
“We have investigated this, and we have seen how extensive this network of ships, ports, and related countries is. We believe that China is the enabler: it has enabled Putin’s war in Ukraine and also supported terrorism backed by Iran,” said Moolenaar.
He emphasized that while China often uses the excuse of “non-military use of technology” to evade responsibility, under China’s “civil-military fusion” strategy, a significant amount of equipment and components are being used to strengthen Iran and Russia’s war machinery.
Regarding the infiltration of technology sources, Moolenaar cited an investigation by the committee, which revealed that in recent years, there have been 9,000 research papers co-authored by US government-funded researchers and their Chinese counterparts with ties to the Chinese military.
He bluntly stated that many of these joint projects involve China’s military, meaning that American taxpayers’ money is actually being used to fund China’s military technology development, a situation that must end.
A recent report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) substantiates Moolenaar’s observations. According to evidence cited by ISW, China is assisting Iran in reviving its missile production program damaged by US-Israeli strikes. Intelligence indicates that since the conflict erupted, several sanctioned Iranian ships have been found transporting chemicals, such as sodium chlorate, from Chinese ports to Iran, sufficient to manufacture hundreds of missiles.
On Wednesday, April 8th, Chinese expert Gordon Chang told Fox News that Beijing is Iran’s “lifeline,” and Beijing’s support to Tehran severely threatens regional security.
“China (CCP) is the adversary and is endangering the safety of US military personnel,” said Chang, urging the US government to pressure China and even detain ships transporting missile fuel chemicals.
Additionally, a report from the Atlantic Council at the end of March also mentioned that China directly supplies Iran with Western or Chinese-produced components, which later appear in Iranian drones attacking US military facilities.
Apart from direct military aid, Moolenaar also highlighted the threats posed by China to American society and supply chains. He described the US reliance on China for rare earth materials and critical drugs as a “loaded gun,” warning that China could use these means to coerce the global economy at any time.
For Moolenaar, this competition is not just economic and military but also a clash of values. He emphasized that China’s goal is to replace the US as the global leader and create divisions worldwide.
Moolenaar also touched upon the situations in Taiwan and Hong Kong during the interview.
He supported Taiwan’s adoption of the “porcupine strategy” to enhance self-defense capability and called for continued attention to “prisoners of conscience” like Jimmy Lai.
In conclusion, he stated, “This is about the future of our children and the free world. For me, what’s important is for us to succeed economically and technologically. We must have a strong defense capability to deter threats and also make a clear stand for human dignity and rights, as I believe this contrast is vital for the entire world.”