The US is militarizing in the Asia-Pacific in the name of “deterrence” for a war with China, but it fuels tension at a cost to the billions of people and pristine ecosystems in the region. China is trapped in an encirclement by the US through increasing military presence and arms sales. Tell Congress that we do not want war with China!
Dear Member of the United States Congress,
We ask that you speak out publicly against the warmongering towards China and affirm your commitment to peace and cooperation with China.
The people of the United States and the world are witnessing how the U.S. is turning China into its enemy. The U.S. already has almost 300 military bases surrounding China. In January 2023, the Marine Corps opened a new base in Guam, where a Live Fire Training Range Complex is being built near 3,000-year-old villages, ancient cave art, and traditional medicine-gathering and fishing grounds.
People of the Asia-Pacific refuse to be dragged into war by the U.S.. Last August, Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen opened the door for Rep. Pelosi, whose visit crossed China’s redlines and escalated tension in the Taiwan Strait. A few months later, Tsai’s party lost the election. In early April, after meeting with Speaker McCarthy in the US, Tsai was protested by the people as soon as her flight landed. The U.S. is losing credibility by claiming that China wants to attack Taiwan, when it views Taiwan as part of its territory.
When the U.S. makes a country its enemy, the people will experience death and destruction. According to the Costs of War project at Brown University, by March 2023, the U.S. post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere have killed 906,000 to 937,000 people, 40% of which were civilians.
The war on China already has its first casualties, the Asian American Pacific Islander community. Since 2020, Stop AAPI hate has received over 11,000 hate incidents report; 1 in 5 involve scapegoating language including blaming AAPI community for COVID-19, espionage, economic insecurity.
As the U.S. is turning China into its enemy, the people see the hypocrisy in the scrutiny of TikTok for “security risks.” Social media has long been used by the U.S. government to target individuals and communities designated as “threat.” The Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement have monitored the social media activities of immigrant rights activists. The State Department used social media screening to discriminate against the Muslim, Arab, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities under the Trump administration’s “Muslim ban.” In 2020, DHS used social media to surveil protesters in Portland, OR.
While the U.S. prepares for war, China is committed to making peace and addressing the climate crisis. In February, China issued a 12-point proposal for peace in Ukraine and has since met with leaders of Ukraine and Russia, as well as other European countries to facilitate peace talks. China has lifted 800 million people out of poverty with care for the environment, pledging carbon neutrality by 2060. A war on China is a crime against humanity.
China is not our enemy. Please reaffirm in a social media post or public comment your commitment to cooperation, not competition; peace, not war.