Ryan Zinke: “Today, I rise in support of the select committee on China. As a 23-year veteran of the United States Navy and a former…”

“Today, I rise in support of the select committee on China. As a 23-year veteran of the United States Navy and a former Navy SEAL commander, I am acquainted with China and its looming threat. Without question, China's actions represent a threat not only to national security but also our environment. As Secretary of the Interior, I led a delegation of officials to the Pacific Islands and witnessed firsthand China's intentions. I can tell you, their intentions are clear: control and dominance in the South China Sea and the hemisphere. It should be noted that China has the largest standing Navy, greater than the United States. They have stolen U.S. technology and have increased their capacity for nuclear weapons. China continues to threaten democracies, such as Taiwan, the Philippines, and even our territories. On the environmental front, the People's Republic of China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases; the largest source of marine debris; the worst perpetrator of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; and is the world's largest consumer of trafficked wildlife and timber products. In fact, 90 percent of the world's plastics found in oceans comes from four rivers in China. China's actions today represent a clear and present danger, and they use any means available to them--blackmail, data hacking, and espionage.…”