By Alexander B. Gray

The threat posed to our nation by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is both grave and existential. Chinese military doctrine calls for unrestricted warfare against the whole of American society, with the goal of defeating the United States by undermining it internally and compromising our infrastructure, cultural institutions, media, academia, and financial markets, beyond just the obvious military targets. Speaking before the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2018, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned, “China threat as not just a whole-of-government threat, but a whole-of-society threat on their end… and I think it’s going to take a whole-of-society response by us.”

While much of the focus on the challenge posted by the CCP has been confined to the Federal level, it would be a serious mistake for Oklahoma lawmakers to ignore state-level solutions that can address these threats in a tailored, local manner. A top-down, one-size-fits-all approach from Washington seldom brings about the best policies.

An adversarial foreign government in Beijing has carefully studied each U.S. state, probing for weaknesses. It has developed comprehensive plans to subvert American society by outmaneuvering Washington and taking aim at state and local vulnerabilities. This may seem like hyperbole, but the threat is all too real. Over the years, the CCP has focused on infiltrating critical sectors of our society by establishing connections to our people, technology, and finances. In 1999, two senior Chinese military officers outlined this strategy, titled “Unrestricted Warfare,” in which China could defeat the United States through non-military means such as economic and political warfare.

China is buying up American agricultural land, weakening our food security. Retirement accounts are invested in CCP-owned Chinese companies, exposing our retirees to the whims of a foreign dictatorship. Our critical infrastructure and public utilities are inundated with Chinese-made technology, leaving our physical health and safety susceptible to cyber threats. Elite academia and legacy media institutions have been usurped with pro-CCP, anti-American propaganda. The CCP has stolen innovative research and cutting-edge tech developments from our businesses. The list goes on. It is time for a bold response to these assaults on our freedom and prosperity.

Today, thanks to the leadership of Governor Kevin Stitt, Oklahoma has begun to lead the country in addressing the Chinese Communist threat at the state-level.

Governor Stitt recently took a crucial step forward by issuing Executive Order 2024-11 to conduct an annual risk assessment of the state’s vulnerabilities to China’s malign influence, including the economic and public safety risks mentioned above. Likewise, the order directs the state to conduct a “stress test” to head off disruptions to Oklahoma’s state operations in the event of a military conflict with China. These initiatives are the most forward-leaning and innovative of any state in the country, and all Oklahomans can be proud of the leadership coming from our Governor’s office.

Next, the Governor’s executive order should be followed with concrete legislative actions to remedy this crisis. The state legislature can begin with the most critical issues that will take priority in the state risk assessment, such as state procurement of Chinese technology in our critical infrastructure. By ensuring Oklahomans have a secure and reliable power grid, water system, telecommunications spectrum, and other indispensable utilities, the state will be insulated from the devastating consequences of a CCP attack. Additionally, the state must begin a top-down review of state academic and research institutions and decisively cut any existing ties with the CCP. Taxpayer dollars should never, directly or indirectly, subsidize CCP efforts to steal our research and undermine our economic success. Money talks and demonstrating that the state will not permit the CCP to profit off the hard work of Americans will demonstrate the seriousness with which this issue is being addressed.

China’s efforts to infiltrate and drain our society at the state and local level are unlikely to subside anytime soon. For too long, leaders across the country have approached national security issues complacently, falsely believing Washington would step in to fix the problem. However, the unprecedented threat posed by the CCP shows this thinking is outdated. States have a critical role to play in the security and prosperity of their citizens from foreign threats. Oklahoma has been and must continue to be the leader in this domain, demonstrating by example that a tailored, state-level response is a powerful tool for combating the CCP and upholding Oklahoma values.

Alexander B. Gray is the Chief Executive Officer of American Global Strategies LLC, an Oklahoma City-based international strategic consulting firm. He served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff of the White House National Security Council under President Donald Trump (2019-21).