OAN Staff Blake Wolf
1:42 PM – Monday, November 25, 2024
The chair of NATO’s military committee called on business leaders around the globe to prepare for a potential “wartime scenario,” urging them to reconfigure their production lines so as to not solely rely on China or Russia for logistical or production needs.
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On Monday, at the European Policy Centre think tank, Dutch Adm. Rob Bauer urged conglomerate leaders to stop relying on hostile foreign governments, as the threat of war between major global superpowers grows.
“Businesses need to be prepared for a wartime scenario and adjust their production and distribution lines accordingly,” Bauer stated. “Because while it may be the military who wins battles, it’s the economies that win wars.”
Large amounts of essential health care items, including antibiotics, sedatives, anti-inflammatories, and low blood pressure medicines are imported from China, leaving western countries vulnerable to potential blackmail.
“If we can ensure that all essential services and goods can be delivered regardless of the situation, then that is a key part of our deterrence,” he continued.
Bauer also pointed out that the West is dependent on China for earth materials, as 60% of all natural materials are produced in China.
“We are naive if we think that the Communist Party will never use this power. Business leaders in Europe and America need to understand that the commercial decisions they make have strategic implications for national security,” Bauer stated.
Additionally, Bauer spoke on a previous example of Russian President Vladamir Putin employing this exact strategy, utilizing Russian gas company Gazprom as “a weapon of war” by restricting supply to Western nations after supporting Ukraine in 2022.
“We are seeing this with the rise in acts of sabotage, and Europe has seen it in the field of energy supply,” Bauer continued. “We thought we had a deal with Gazprom, but in fact we had a deal with Mr Putin. The same applies to Chinese-owned infrastructure and goods. In fact, we have a deal with [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping].”
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump has been pushing an “America First” plan for his second incoming administration, vowing to place 60% tariffs on Chinese imports as he works to promote domestic production.
Baur also called on Western leaders to continue supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russia, as to not indicate that Moscow and Beijing “can get away with aggression.”
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