China’s economic rise has deployed a strategic and calculated approach to global influence, and one area it has been increasingly active in is environmental diplomacy and policy. A recent report by the Heritage Foundation highlights China’s strategy of leveraging America’s climate agenda to advance its own energy goals, steal intellectual property.
The Heritage Foundation report, “Chinese Handcuffs: How China Exploits America’s Climate Agenda,” outlines how China has been financing the so-called green movement in the United States to promote its own interests. As the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, China’s interest in green energy seems paradoxical, but it serves a strategic purpose.
One of the most prominent tactics employed by China is investing in American environmental organizations and lobbying efforts. These investments give China a foothold in American environmental policymaking and allow it to influence the direction of US energy policy. By doing so, China can ensure that US policies align with its own energy agenda, which often prioritizes economic growth over environmental concerns.
One example of this, comes from a recent Fox News Digital report on a San Francisco based group call, Energy Foundations. While based in San Francisco, most of the group operations are conducted in China and its staff has direct ties to the CCP. Energy Foundation has funded grants to US Based green energy organizations such as the Rocky Mountain Institute, International Council on Clean Transportation, Harvard, and other groups as well. According to the report, Energy Foundation dished out over $50 million grants to outside groups.
China’s investments in renewable energy projects in the US give it additional leverage. By funding renewable energy initiatives, China can gain access to valuable technology and intellectual property. This not only helps China advance its own renewable energy sector but also gives it a competitive edge in the global green energy market.
This strategy also extends beyond the US. The report highlights China’s efforts to influence international climate agreements to benefit its own economic interests. By positioning itself as a global leader in renewable energy, China can shape the terms of international agreements in a way that favors its economic agenda.China’s green diplomacy is not solely motivated by environmental concerns. It is part of a broader strategy to increase its global influence and challenge American dominance. By investing in the green movement in the US, China can weaken American influence and strengthen its own position on the world stage.
The result of China’s strategy is paying off with the Biden administration. Biden’s energy policies have nearly aligned with the green energy policies China lobbies for. As a result, Americans, businesses, farmers will pay more and more for their energy all while China pays less and steals our innovators’ intellectual property at the same time.
