U.S. Navy, Marine Corps Leaders Warn that China is 'Weaponizing Capital'"

From The Hill, March 7:

Top Navy and Marine Corps officials on Wednesday expressed concern over China’s expanding global reach and said the superpower was rapidly buying up foreign land to “win without fighting.”

“When it comes to China, the bottom line there is the checkbook,” Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer told lawmakers during a House Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing.

“Not only in the dollars and cents that they are writing to support their military expansion and their technological work, but what they’re doing around the globe ... weaponizing capital.”

Spencer referred to Beijing’s current funding of a Sri Lankan port project, a move not done as aid but rather in order to secure it for themselves. 

China has said the project is part of its $1.4 trillion "Belt and Road Initiative," which is meant to bolster trade routes by extending roads outside the country and building up ports.

“Their open checkbook keeps me up at night,” Spencer said.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller, who also spoke at the hearing, said the Chinese “are playing the long game.”

“Their concern with human rights is not there, they’ve got big bags of cash. They’re buying airfields and ports to extend their reach ... they want to win without fighting,” Neller said.

Neller also pointed to a Russian threat in all domains, including underseas, in the air and on the ground.

“The Russians, I think, are a little more in your face,” Neller said....MORE