Bipartisan Commission: China is Not a Democracy, Xi is Not a “President”

The bipartisan U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission released its annual report last week warning of several threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party government and recommended that Chinese leader Xi Jinping should no longer be called "President Xi."

Citing Secretary Pompeo's Hudson Institute speech, the Wall Street Journal reported recent instances of U.S. policymakers referring to Xi Jinping as "General Secretary Xi." The Commission warned that using "president" ascribes absent democratic values to the Communist Party of China.

Rob Spalding echoes the call of the Commission to be vigilant against attempts by the CCP to create its own reality, w riting:

“The CCP is excellent at bending the narrative, masters at weaving it into a shield, a spear, whatever beneficial tool is needed. If an outsider points out the oppressive nature of China’s controlling party-state apparatus, the outsider is labeled racist. If an economist comments on the CCP’s unfair and predatory economic and trade practices, the economist is trying to keep the Chinese people from reaching their potential. If a federal agent seeks to apply the rule of law to blatant criminal activity, the agent is using the institutions of the West to terrorize the Chinese people."

He also noted how the CCP's efforts are already taking place in the U.S.:

"My son was told by his college professor that China is a democracy. This explains how the CCP uses our own language to fool Americans. If Michael Bloomberg says General Secretary Xi is not a dictator, he would sound foolish. He gets away with President."

For more from Hudson Senior Fellow Rob Spalding on China, listen to this week's episode of The Realignment podcast for a discussion about his new book on China's decades-long strategy to undermine U.S. national security by utilizing American institutions.

On Fox Business, Michael Pillsbury discussed the latest on the situation in Hong Kong and the growing pressure on the government's leaders to negotiate with the demonstrators.

From the repression of Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, to the crack-down of democratic protesters in Hong Kong, or use of coded language to disguise their authoritarian behavior, Hudson experts will continue to provide clear-eyed analysis of our economic and national security relationship with China.

Hudson Highlights

Walter Russell Mead argues in the Wall Street Journal that to protect America's national interest abroad, we need more leaders like Theodore Roosevelt.