China Girl: The push to keep hostile nations from sacking out the homeland

China Girl is a great song by David Bowie! 

The threat of hostile nations to this country has always been real, but in today’s complex world the efforts are more devious and often appear quite innocent. I was on a call with leaders from around the country this week listening to the OSD speak about how to protect our nation. The bottom line is that we need Americans to “See something, Say something.” 

China is the core of this mess. Pagodas, which are just spy facilities as gifts, wind and solar farms around military facilities, supply chain purchases (think a glass maker that supplies for F-35 fighters), purchases to disrupt our food chain, and many others. If you have been involved in Chambers of Commerce or community development organizations, you are well aware of this threat or at least you should be. However, if you’re the average citizen, this is not an issue that you would think about unless brought to your attention.

Cheyenne has one of three American ICBM bases, so you can bet that we are “on the radar” for foreign adversaries. There are few things that China and other threats would love more than to disable or minimize one third (and the most stabilizing portion) of the triad. You might have caught the articles on CNN a couple weeks back that highlighted Cheyenne, our missile field, and the current threats. It’s not just in Cheyenne, of course, and as a nation we need to respond to this issue. Some states have really responded in big ways. Texas is of note here with their legislation to block investment from certain countries.

What about us? This is not an issue that we need to panic about, but it is an issue that we need to be aware of and vigilant about as a business community. “What can I do?” you may be asking yourself. I am glad you did! Here are my recommendations for what you should do…

DO Report:

• Developments proximate to base or MTRs/Ranges with foreign investments, contractors, or suppliers 
• Manufacturers and critical supply chain vendors with foreign investments 
• Foreign partnerships and joint ventures 
• Provision of access either in person or by other means (such as electronic) to foreign persons 
• Foreign investment actions not captured by the CFIUS processes 

With just a little diligence you can do a great service for this nation and be an important part of our national security. 

Story by Dale G. Steenbergen, President/CEO Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce