Central Wisconsin News

Using platform X, Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany emphasized the critical nature of curbing Communist Chinese aggression. In his post, he referenced his involvement in a recent Global Security field hearing held in Guam, where he was joined by fellow lawmakers and members of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources.

"America can and must do more to curtail #CommunistChinese aggression," Tiffany said on the platform. "This week, I joined U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources in Guam to strengthen & maintain our friendships in the Pacific Islands. We can have peace, but it requires American strength, a secure border, and energy independence."

The hearing, titled “Peace Through Strength: The Strategic Importance of the Pacific Islands to U.S.-led Global Security", was joined by Rep. Doug Lamborn, Vice Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, Chairman Bruce Westerman, Reps. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, Tom Tiffany, James Moylan, and Harriet Hageman. The Governor of Guam, Lourdes “Lou” Leon Guerrero was present at the hearing and spoke as a witness, as well as the Governor of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Arnold I. Palacios, Minister of Finance for the Republic of Palau, and several others, according to a press release.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has intensified its aggressive actions both in the Indo-Pacific region and on a global scale. It has employed strategies of "military and economic coercion" to instill fear in neighboring countries, jeopardize maritime conditions, and foster instability in regions surrounding the People’s Republic of China (PRC), according to the U.S. Department of State.

Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, three U.S. territories, have emerged as crucial areas in America's drive to counteract Communist Chinese Party (CCP) aggression within the Indo-Pacific region. The CCP is aiming to exploit its resources, using tactics such as offering economic aid and proposing infrastructure development projects with ulterior motives, all in an effort to establish control and influence within the region, according to a press release.

"The United States has a long-standing international agreement called the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) with the three states that make up the Freely Associated States (FAS) – the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia," stated a press release from Rep. Doug Lamborn's office. "The COFA is in the process of being extended to ensure continued partnership between the United States and these three countries. The House Committee on Natural Resources has jurisdiction over these matters as well as authorization of the COFA agreements."

“We have traveled thousands of miles to show our support for the strategic value of the Pacific Islands in protecting U.S. interests, human rights, and free trade in the Indo-Pacific region,” Vice Chairman Doug Lamborn said. “As a beacon for democracy and a strategically important counter to Beijing, the U.S. needs to increase its support of our Pacific Island territories and our treaty partners.”