Senate deliberations over the foreign aid bill have proven a regrettable spectacle. Political antics aside, feature the lack of attention given to what should be America’s top foreign policy priority — countering Communist China. This would include prioritizing the Indo-Pacific which, despite a few useful appropriations, the bill fails to do. Its focus remains on Europe and the Middle East, much to America’s detriment.
No doubt, Israel, Ukraine, and the broader transatlantic alliance are crucial to American interests. A Russian victory in Ukraine could embolden further aggression, likely extending to our North Atlantic Treaty allies. Any fracture in America’s ties with Europe could also precipitate a European modus vivendi with Beijing. Should Israel falter in its war with Hamas, too, the resulting instability would reverberate beyond the Middle East.
Yet the bill fails to acknowledge that it is China that binds these crises together. Beijing’s purchases of Russian oil have largely shielded Moscow from the impacts of Western sanctions, fueling its military efforts. Iranian oil exports to China have tripled since 2020 to constitute 90 percent of its total oil exports. Meanwhile, Chinese weapons are being deployed against Ukrainians and Israelis — and, potentially soon, the Taiwanese.
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