A Message from our Chairman: Statement on the Launch of CESI

By: Randall G. Schriver |

The events of recent years, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) blatant escalations in the Taiwan Strait have forced leaders around the world to evaluate what actions they must take to adapt to this new and precarious geopolitical landscape.

But in times of crisis, clarity can be achieved and what these events have done is cast a spotlight on the nations that are selfishly pursuing their own ambitions at the expense of others – the PRC in particular.

That is why today, I am excited to announce that we are establishing a new organization under the auspices of the Project 2049 Institute to evaluate and address this growing threat. This new initiative – the China Economic and Strategy Initiative (CESI) – is launching with the core purpose of supporting the United States in its competition with the PRC.

For decades, the PRC has systematically abused the privileges that it has been accorded as a member of the free and open community of nations in its own bid for dominance. This has been evident in their rampant use of diplomatic coercion, unlawful military provocations, and malign actions in the global economy; to include stealing intellectual property, conducting one-sided trade deals, selling espionage infested technology, and facilitating corrupt business practices.

Fortunately, the United States has begun posturing itself to counter the threat from the PRC to protect the shared values and rules-based order that America, and all nations, have benefited from. However, despite policymakers’ efforts to find solutions, the United States still lacks a comprehensive strategy to compete with and win the competition with the PRC.

To help address this challenge, CESI’s core mission will be to provide U.S. policymakers the knowledge and support they need to develop an actionable strategy to counter the PRC’s malign activities and uphold the free and open international system.

As the Chairman, it will be my privilege to lead this new initiative alongside Dan Blumenthal (Vice Chairman), in addition to an exceptional board of commissioners who will bring to bear a wide range of public and private sector expertise.

We must act now to secure a stable and prosperous future for the American people. I look forward to developing CESI’s role as a force multiplier for policymakers in support of this critical effort.

The Honorable Randall G. Schriver

Chairman
The Project 2049 Institute