Throwdown: Trump Challenges China’s ‘Economic Warfare’ in National Security Strategy

The Trump administration’s upcoming National Security Strategy — a document required by Congress — will be the first one to have a deep focus on economic competitiveness, particularly with China, according to a source familiar with it.

Towards that end, the NSS is expected to be actionable, in terms of recommending certain economic trade laws be reformed, the source told Breitbart News on Friday. The NSS is expected to be released on Monday.

In the Trump administration’s view, the United States’ greatest weapon is a strong and sustainable gross domestic product (GDP).

Along those lines, the NSS is expected to have a heavy focus on reciprocal and fair trade, economic strength, economic competitiveness, and economic warfare directed towards the U.S.

President Trump made American economic competitiveness with China a key campaign issue. The administration has made it a key focus, at the same time attempting to work with China to denuclearize North Korea.

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster earlier this week at an event in Washington provided a preview of the NSS, outlining the four core pillars: Protecting the homeland, advancing U.S. prosperity, peace through strength, and advancing U.S. influence.

He also outlined the nation’s five major threats: revisionist powers like China and Russia, rogue states like Iran and North Korea, and transnational terrorist groups.

The NSS process, spearheaded by Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Strategy on the National Security Council, Nadia Schadlow, and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy Dina Powell, took input from across government, including defense and military leaders, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said recently.

“It was very collaborative. We had an open invitation to be there. We took full advantage of it, giving our inputs,” Mattis told reporters on Friday.

While it used a number of sources for input, the NSS drew from President Trump’s campaign promises, and Trump himself had a hand in crafting it, according to the source.