We Must Not Let China Get the Upper Hand in Southeast Asia

I recently joined Reps. Carol Miller (WV-03) and Ron Estes (KS-04) in a Fox News op-ed on the critical need to strengthen ties in Southeast Asia.

"U.S. influence has been eroded in a part of the world where we were once poised to hold sway, and China has moved in to play an increasingly dominant role. This must change.

China is outmaneuvering the United States in this region with investments, loans, trade and exchanges. 

The United States has many interests in this critical region, and they aren’t all economic. We want to foster greater freedom and openness, both in general principle and as a barrier against Chinese Marxist-Leninist influence. 

The United States must work with these countries over the long term to develop and strengthen economic and political ties and to foster common values. Trade and investment open the door for greater influence and American democratic values that will translate into greater freedom and prosperity for them."

Read the full op-ed here.