In discussion with @RHFontaine @CNASdc, @HawleyMO makes it clear: "normal everyday working Americans have had sense of where [China] is before chattering classes...I have been hearing about China for years" from constituents. It's Washington that is behind. @elyratner 1/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner Very clear message from @HawleyMO that regular working Americans "get" the China challenge. Their jobs & livelihoods have been under pressure from some time. If anything, the Beltway is the problem on China policy - not vice versa. 2/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner .@HawleyMO: Hong Kong is "the bellwether." Hong Kong matters for Americans because it's a signal of where China is heading. 3/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner .@HawleyMO - Need to focus efforts in ME to enable much greater focus on Asia. That means CT & denying regional hegemony. Our whole foreign policy should be oriented around denying anyone else hegemony over a key region. That means Iran in ME. 4/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner That's a much different and better standard than overall guarantor of regional stability. We need to get out of "we can do it all" mindset. 5/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner We can't afford to spend $2 trillion on defense. American people are already footing a massive bill. I'm for rebuilding military but there are limits. 6/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner Russia is a serious threat. But US can't do everything. This is where we need our NATO allies to step up and spend/do more. Especially focused on Baltics fait accompli scenario. Alliances matter and are vital but precisely we aren't in the unipolar world. 7/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner Ultimately if we have to choose, we'll have to choose Indo-Pacific over Europe. We don't want to but don't force us to make this choice. 8/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner Germany in particular needs to step up and do more. @akk @RugeBoris 9/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner @akk @RugeBoris We need to get past the assumptions of the post-Cold War world. We don't need to be the global dominant power. We just need to make sure no other power can deny other state ability to dominate key region of the world. 10/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner @akk @RugeBoris We should absolutely be promoter and example of democracy but we need to focus on most important thing, which is our democracy at home and maintaining our strength. 11/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner @akk @RugeBoris Some degree of economic separation is necessary from PRC. We're not going back. Question is how much decoupling. Part of this is opening up with other nations like India, Japan, Phils, Vietnam, South Korea, etc. Ultimate goal is good terms with PRC. 12/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner @akk @RugeBoris .@ConStelz agrees with @HawleyMO re Germany doing more. Asks about EU. @HawleyMO says we have economic issues but they're not a threat. We should work w them. We need our Euro allies to do more. Russia is the threat. 13/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner @akk @RugeBoris @ConStelz We need to be really worried about a Russia-China partnership. That would be very, very bad. 14/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner @akk @RugeBoris @ConStelz Hong Kong is the Berlin of this generation in making vivid the contest of this era. 15/
@RHFontaine @CNASdc @HawleyMO @elyratner @akk @RugeBoris @ConStelz Need to really focus on Taiwan as NDS lays out. Has to be to prevent a fait accompli scenario against Taiwan. This really needs to be @DeptofDefense focus @EsperDoD. Needs to be at top of our planning and need to show we're able to prevent it. We need to change to do this. 16/
