Russia ukraine war, u. S. Competition with china, and other emerging threats. This hearing is about two and a half hours. Along with the select Television Providers giving you a front row seat to democracys interests. Next look at the top Global Trends with the director of intelligence Defense IntelligenceAgency DirectorLieutenant General perry. They testified before the Senate Armed Service committee about foreign Intelligence Surveillance and ongoing project ukraine more, u. S. Competition with china and other emerging threats. The hearing is about two and a half hours. Good morning. Before we begin today, i would like to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of general stewart this past weekend. General stewart was an inspiring, trail blazing marine who served the nation with honor for more than two decades. Rising from a all the way to director of the Senate Intelligence agency. He committed himself entirely to the defense of our nation, and his leadership will continue to be felt throughout the marine corps and the dia for years to come. My thoughts are with his wife phyllis and his children and family. Now, turn into todays hearing, the Committee Meets to receive testimony on the worldwide threats facing United States and our international partners. Id like to welcome the director of National Intelligence, avril haines. And the Defense IntelligenceAgency Director, Lieutenant GeneralScott Berrier. Think you both for joining us. Please convey the committees gratitude to the men and women of the Intelligence Community for their critical work. As the dnis annual threat assessment makes clear, the United States faces threats for a number of state and non state actors. As well as health and Environmental Security challenges. Among these wideranging issues there is a common understanding that the future of our National Security is tied to the success of a strategic competition with china. This competition is occurring across every field of national power, military, economic, political, technological, and more. And across every region of the world. For several decades, the Peoples Liberation army has and focused his efforts on counting our advantages. Has invested in all technologies like antiaccess and intel and ill systems, artificial intelligence, hypersonics, and of course, Nuclear Weapons. Further, the prc has leverage the competition of military and civil against its neighbors, including statecraft, economic pressure, coercion, and to section. Beijing to achieve its National Objectives while avoiding a direct confrontation with the United States military. As the defense departments new joint concept of competing puts it, to win without fighting. The strategy warns that if we do not adapt our approach to compete more effectively, the United States risks seedings to check influence, advantage, and leverage while preparing for a war that never occurs. Indeed, the document warns that the u. S. Could lose without fighting. Just as chinese leaders have stated, we with that in mind, i would ask our witnesses for their assessment of how china has evolved and theyre Competitive Strategies and objectives. I would also appreciate an update on what military and nonmilitary most likely to impact chinese decisionmaking with respect to the potential coercive action against taiwan and our other regional partners. Even as we compete with china, we must address russias violent destabilizing activities. The ukrainians have fought with incredible courage and skill to repel russias assault, defending the same values and freedom that we cherish. Ukraine is achieving notable successes, but there is hard work ahead. Let there be no doubt that the United States will continue to help ukraine succeed on the battlefield. Americas assistance to ukraine is also an investment in our own National Security. I want to commend the leaders of the Intelligence Community for their skill full release of intelligence throughout this conference. It has routinely expose russias intentions and aided ukraines war fighters. Intelligence facials are understandably cautious about revealing hardwon insight on adversaries, but this strategy has proven highly effective in strengthening the international communitys response and creating dilemmas for putin. This is a great example of competing effectively in the information domain, and i hope we will continue to make use of this kind of creative war craft. With that in mind, russias initial strategy in ukraine was a failure, and it seems to be changing. Director haynes, general barrier, i would ask or suspend of the ukraine conflict in the larger context of the evolving International Order. I hope you will also address the extent to which russia and china are aligning under this socalled lip no limits partnership, and the potential implications to u. S. National security. Finally, nations like iran and north korea continued to push the boundaries of military brinkmanship and issues like terrorism and remain persistent. Iran has made concerning advances, and is reportedly seeking russias help to make even further gains. Its proxies continue to mount throughout the middle east, including against bases in iraq and syria, with the u. S. Military presence. North korea has conducted nearly two dozen missile tests this year including icbm and has reportedly stopped its routine military communication with south korea. I understand its the Intelligence Communitys view that Climate Change will continue to exacerbate risk to u. S. National security, as issues like rising temperatures, pollution, changing precipitation patterns, and other climate effects, are likely to lead to an array of human challenges such as food and water and security, and threats to human health. I would appreciate our witnesses perspectives on each of these complex elements. Thank you again for your participation, and i look forward to your testimony. As a reminder, for my colleagues, there will be a closed session immediately following this hearing in room sbc to 17, now let me turn to the ranking members. Thank you, mister chairman. I want to congratulate you on your statements concerning the threat we see from china and russia. And i also want to join you in observing and memorializing the life of general Vincent Stewart and his untimely death. And i want to thank our witnesses for being here today. It comes at a pivotal time. The u. S. Is confronted with the most complex and dangerous Global Security environment since the second world war. Our adversaries are growing in their military capabilities and engaging in provocative and destabilizing behavior across the spectrum of competition and conflict. They are actively trying to displace the United States as the Global Leader and we can longstanding and critical alliances and partnerships. We are at an inflection point. The decisions we make this year will have far reaching implications for the United States military, whether it is properly positioned, and equipped to deter our adversaries, and if necessary, to defeat them in conflict. Regrettably, the president s budget request lacks urgency. This will require us and fails to make the necessary investments in our nations defense, for the third year in a row, the budget request cuts to defense spending. Make no mistake, our adversaries are taking notice, and i do believe on a bipartisan basis, we will rectify this failure. Our foremost adversary is the Chinese Communist party, they are in the midst of an unprecedented buildup of their conventional, strategic, and asymmetric military capabilities under the direction of its most powerful and ruthless leader since chairman now. At the same time, Vladimir Putins brutal and unprovoked attack against ukraine has entered its second year, and has upended Global Security, caused untold loss of life, and further isolated his autocratic regime. Now, its not the time to question our commitment to our ukrainian partners, to protect u. S. Interests, we need to provide ukraine with the tools it needs to bring this war to a successful conclusion. Not to be outdone, north korea may now possess enough missiles to overwhelm our homeland missile defenses. Iran inches closer to developing a Nuclear Weapon of its own, while it continues to sow chaos across the middle east through its terrorist proxy network. Additionally, president bidens disastrous and chaotic withdrawal from afghanistan has emboldened terrorist networks around the world. I. S. I. S. And alqaeda affiliates across the middle east, africa, and south asia are reconstituting their capabilities, and remain intent on killing americans. I remain deeply disturbed by the scope and severity of the recent disclosure of classified materials, and the impacts such disclosure has on military operations and intelligence collection, and cooperation with allies. Although i understand multiple investigations are ongoing, i expect this committee will be kept fully informed as details come available and as corrective actions are taken. This committee deserves answers on how such a Junior Service member in a support role was able to access, print, and post online highly classified documents for over a year without detection. For over a year. We need to understand whether the department of defense is Insider Threat and security procedures failed, or simply were not followed. Again, i think the witnesses for being here, and thank you, mister chairman, and i look forward to a very important discussion. Thank you senator. Let me now recognize director haines. Thank you very much, chairman reed could you bring the microphone as close as possible . Is that better . That is. Sorry about that. Thank you very much for your kind words about general stewart, who really was just an extraordinary leader in the Intelligence Community, and someone who is who has inspired a lot of our folks over the year, and brings together integrity and skill in a way that is rare and extraordinary. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today, alongside my wonderful colleague, Lieutenant GeneralScott Berrier, and for your support of the Intelligence Community who serve our country. Im grateful for the opportunity to present this annual threat assessment, and would like to acknowledge the many people who have contributed to this work. From the collect, out to the analyst, to everyone in between. This assessment is a product of their efforts, and they have our gratitude. This years report notes that during the coming years, the United States and its allies will face an interNational Security environment dominated by two strategic challenges, that intersects with each other, and existing friends, to intensify their National Security. First, great powers, rising regional powers, and evolving it rays of non state actors are vying for influence and impact of the international system, including over the standards and rules that will shape the global order for decades to come. And second, challenges that transcend borders, including transnational criminal activity, Climate Change, health and human security, and economic need made worse by energy and food insecurity, as well as russias invasion of ukraine. These are intensifying as the planet emerges from the covid19 pandemic. And further compounding this dynamic is the impact of rapidly emerging technology governance, economies, communities around the world. The intersection of these challenges underscored the importance of working together with partners and allies to address the threats we face, and how critical it is to counter efforts to principles and mechanisms, that promote and underpin transnational cooperation. Which is an implicit theme in this years threat assessment. The report starts with the peoples republic of china, as it is increasingly challenged in the United States economically, technologically, politically, militarily, and from an intelligence standpoint, around the world. Often most of my time on china and, russia among our top priorities, and focus on updating our views, rather than repeating whats in the annual threat assessment. We assess that the Chinese Communist party, or ccp, under president xi jinping will continue efforts over the next year to achieve xis vision of making china the preeminent power in east asia, and a major power on the world stage. What is perhaps most concerning is that the ccp is increasingly convinced that it could only fulfill xis vision at the expense of u. S. Power and influence, and throw tools of coercion, using demonstrations of strength, as well as economic and political coercion, to compel governments to acquiesce to the ccp preferences. Including the land, sea, and air claims in the region and its assertions of sovereignty over taiwan, and the relationship between United States and china. This relationship has consequently become more challenging. Shes public reference to americas suppression of china in march of this year reflects his longstanding distrust of u. S. Goals, and his belief that the United States seeks to contain china. His speech was the most public and direct criticism that we have seen from him to date, and probably reflects growing pessimism in beijing about chinas relationship with the United States, as well as his growing worries about the trajectory of chinas domestic Economic Development and Indigenous Technology innovation, which he now seeks to blame on the United States. Even as the rhetoric has become more heated, we continue to assess that beijing wants to preserve stability and avoid triggering Additional Technology restrictions or sanctions from the United States and our partners. They seek to narrow the gap in their economic and technological competition with us, perceiving the u. S. As a threat. The prc seeks to undercut u. S. Influence and is looking to portray the United States as the root of global problems. China seeks to divide us from our allies and partners, frame u. S. Actions as provocations that provided bases for planned prc aggression, which they then can claim are simply responses, such as chinas expansion of its military presence surrounding taiwan, which the prc asserted was in response to president tsais recent transit to the United States, as well as her meetings with two speakers of the house over the past year. And chinas leaders are focused on spurring domestic Economic Growth this year. But in the long run, spurring Indigenous Technology innovation is paramount. President xi remains confident that beijing can innovate its way to the technological frontier, regardless of u. S. And allied restrictions. And at doing so will give china that competitive advantage that is crucial to achieving his vision for china as a world power. Nonetheless, we are likely to see more dissident messaging and action coming out of beijing, such as recent Charm Offensive by premier li chung, welcoming Foreign Direct Investment as the China Development forum juxtaposed against beijings pressure on foreign firms and executives including investigations of u. S. Firms and a clampdown on previous non Sensitive Data flows out of china. Assesses that chinas long term Economic Growth will continue to decelerate, because chinas era of rapid catch up growth is ending, and structural issues such as debt, demographic, equality, over reliance on investment, and inadequate domestic consumption, remain. And although the ccp may find ways to overcome its structural challenges over the long term, in the short term, it continues to take an increasingly aggressive approach to external affairs. Often to bolster its domestic agenda. Chinas leaders are increasing their investment in a worldclass military, expanding their countriess Nuclear Arsenal and cyber threat capacity, pursuing Counter Space weapons capable