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In a move signaling a tougher stance on Beijing, President-elect Trump has chosen key figures known for their hawkish views on China for top cabinet roles. John Ratcliffe, Pete Hegseth, and Michael Waltz are set for high-ranking positions in national security, all perceiving China as a major geopolitical threat.

Multiple sources have confirmed the possibility of appointing Michael Waltz, a Republican congressman, war veteran, and retired National Guard officer, to the position of national security adviser. 

Naming Waltz is a “strong sign that Trump’s foreign policy priority will focus on China above all else,” said Neil Thomas, a fellow for Chinese politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis. Though there will be a near-term focus on resolving the wars overseas, “over the next four years, China — by far and away — will be the major focus,” he said. 

Waltz has been a huge critic of China and supports a more aggressive foreign policy. The congressman opposed the idea of the US participating in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. His reason behind the boycott was his belief that China suppressed information about COVID-19 during the pandemic outbreak. In 2021, Waltz asserted that America is in “a Cold War with the Chinese Communist Party.” 

In an alarming manner to the Chinese government, Waltz strongly supports Taiwanese independence, stating on X: “We must learn from Ukraine by addressing the threat of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) and arming Taiwan NOW before it’s too late”. Although the USA, like most states, does not officially recognize Taiwan, it is the largest weapons supplier to the island country. 

Waltz was the one who raised concerns in 2022 about the Canada-China business deal. Under the deal’s conditions, a Chinese state-owned company, China’s Zijin Mining Group Ltd., took over the Canadian lithium mining firm, Neo Lithium Corp. He called out Biden’s administration and demanded the answer if they knew about the potential deal, and if they did, then why approve of it? Waltz stated that there were national security concerns, as he considers the Chinese Communist Party as “an increasingly dangerous and threatening adversary.” 

In 2020 Michael Waltz co-authored a Republican Study Committee (RSC) report on National Security Strategy. The report described Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Georgian Dream honorary chair and oligarch, as “a close ally of Putin.”

The report advocated for stronger measures to support NATO, reinforce alliances, and strengthen democratic partners like Ukraine and Georgia, both of which have faced Russian aggression. It criticized existing sanctions on Russia for inadequately addressing “Putin’s foreign cronies,” specifically naming Ivanishvili, stating, “Bidzina Ivanishvili, the richest man in Georgia, is a close ally of Putin and involved in destabilizing Georgia on Russia’s behalf.”

A 50-year-old retired Army Green Beret and National Guard colonel, known for his long-standing stance as a China hawk will spearhead efforts to develop strategies to counter China’s significant military buildup—a key focus of Trump and his campaign team in the election. Waltz has already advised the US to be more careful of the potential conflict in the region caused by China’s nonstop activities in the Asia-Pacific. 

The national security adviser occupies a highly influential role that bypasses the need for Senate confirmation. Waltz’s responsibilities will include briefing Trump on essential national security issues and ensuring coordination among various agencies.