To the editor:

In July, FBI Director Christopher Wray cited China as a long-term threat to the United States. In September, CIA Director William Burns stated China is the greatest adversarial and predatory threat to the United States and a central geographic challenge. Months later, the Pentagon cited China is the greatest national security threat to our country. The Drug Enforcement Administration also identifies China as the fentanyl source that is quietly destroying our youth and accounts for 100,000 annual drug deaths in the US.

It’s been estimated China steals $600B a year in intellectual property from American businesses and Universities. Many products imported from China are made in slave labor camps. Culturally, religious persecutions and indoctrination camps are the norm with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and citizens are exposed to behavior monitoring and control daily and free speech is suppressed.

Yet, President Biden is sidling up to China to increase trade and investments and ignores human right violations. He’s stated the CCP aren’t bad folks. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo’s husband has CCP business equity links and President Biden’s son has made lucrative business deals with them too.

Given Director Wray, Burns and the Pentagon national security warnings, is President Biden being blackmailed and our wellbeing compromised?

Frank Mazur, South Burlington