In the high-stakes world of global military competition, one would expect the United States to keep its supply chains secure, especially when it comes to defense. Yet, as Edouard Prisse sharply outlines in We Were Funding China’s Growth That Must Stop!, the reality is both astonishing and alarming. The Pentagon, tasked with safeguarding America, still relies on Chinese manufacturing.
It sounds like a contradiction. China is widely recognized as America’s greatest strategic rival. It’s rapidly expanding its military, conducting cyber espionage, and aggressively asserting dominance in the Indo-Pacific. And yet, many of the Pentagon’s critical components, including those in weapons systems, electronics, and rare earth magnets, are still sourced from China.
A 2022 report from the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that over 90% of rare earth elements used in American military equipment are processed in China. These materials are essential for manufacturing everything from fighter jets and guided missiles to night vision goggles and satellites. Without them, the U.S. military cannot function.
So why is this happening?
The answer lies in the economic errors that Prisse discusses at length. For example, the U.S. and the West, beginning with China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001, traded long-term strategic security for short-term profit and convenience. Instead of protecting vital industries, Western governments allowed corporations to chase the lowest labor costs (often found in China) while hollowing out domestic manufacturing capabilities.
This economic model has now come full circle. Even as the U.S. increases military spending and voices concern about Chinese aggression, it is financially feeding the very machine it fears. As Prisse writes, “It is not Moscow, but Beijing that poses the greatest long-term threat to our way of life, and we are funding it ourselves.”
While Congress debates defense budgets and strategy in the South China Sea, little attention is paid to where the components of military hardware actually come from. And when the Biden administration attempted to address rare earth dependency with domestic mining proposals, environmental opposition and bureaucratic delays kept progress minimal.
The idea that globalism and free trade would lead to peace and prosperity has blinded policymakers to the realities of economic warfare. Therefore, Prisse calls for a shift toward “equal trade”, where trade is based on balanced value rather than blind market freedom.
Until the U.S. stops outsourcing its industrial core, especially for strategic needs, its military might remains undermined by economic dependency. As a result, even though the Pentagon is getting ready for war, it continues to buy from its primary competitor, leading to more dominance and control.
Therefore, we must stop funding our rival to maintain equilibrium and peace. If you want to know how, reading “We Were Funding China’s Growth That Must Stop!” will definitely help by offering a sobering yet necessary view of our geopolitical future.
Here is a link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1967963053.
