Retired General James “Spider” Marks Analyzes China’s Structure, Culture, and Intentions – and the United States’ Response

Last month, Retired General James “Spider” Marks joined China Tech Threat (CTT) as Principal. Over the course of his distinguished Army career, General Marks served America in a variety of roles in uniform, including as senior intelligence officer during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Intelligence School in Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

General Marks has spent decades observing China’s behavior. His statement he provided upon joining CTT in November shed light on his views of the United States’ evolving competition with China.

Since posting that initial statement, we sat down to hear more about General Marks’ thoughts about the Chinese government’s structure, culture, and intentions – and the United States’ response. We encourage you to watch the series of five one-minute videos:

  • The #1 Superpower – “China does not think there is room for multiple superpowers, so how do we communicate our national security intentions?”
  • China’s Transparent Interests – “The Chinese make no secret about their interests: where they want to be, how they want to spend their money, and where they want their voice to be heard. They declare their intentions and they follow through.”
  • Democracy versus Autocracy – “I worry about the United States losing its position of influence, a democratic voice for others to get behind. You look at China’s autocracy, its Communist Party, you have single-person control and that is anathema to our democracy.
  • U.S. Capabilities – “The United States maintains important capabilities to influence international affairs including diplomatic engagements, military cooperation, and intelligence gathering.”
  • China’s Military Civil Fusion – “There is no firewall, there is no separation, between the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese industry and national security; it is all interwoven.”