Military Expert Sounds Alarm China’s Cyber Warfare Strategy Aims to Undermine American Resolve.
According to retired four-star General Jack Keane, the United States faces an urgent and intensifying threat from China’s deepening cyber warfare capabilities. In a recent public statement, Gen. Keane criticized the U.S. response to China’s increasingly aggressive actions in cyberspace, warning that Beijing’s strategy is far more insidious than mere espionage or data theft it seeks to dismantle the resolve of the American people.
Cyber Warfare: A Growing Frontline in Global Conflict
China’s forays into cyber warfare have been well-documented. Beijing has been accused of orchestrating numerous large-scale cyberattacks on American companies, government agencies, and critical infrastructure. However, Gen. Keane emphasized a broader and more concerning dimension: China’s intent to spread disinformation, disrupt societal cohesion, and ultimately wear down the United States’ collective willpower.
“This isn’t just about stealing classified data or intellectual property,” Keane warned. “China’s ultimate objective is psychological breaking the spirit of the American people to create division, distrust, and paralysis within the country.”
The use of cyber capabilities to sow disinformation and exploit societal fractures is a hallmark of China’s evolving strategy, which Gen. Keane described as “unrestricted warfare.” By targeting critical systems, spreading false narratives, and infiltrating American institutions via covert means, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hopes to undercut confidence in democratic governance and create long-term instability.
The Telecom Threat: A Tactical Weakness
One of Gen. Keane’s primary criticisms focused on China’s effort to hack global telecom providers, a move that allows Beijing to monitor communications, siphon sensitive data, and exploit vulnerabilities in critical communication infrastructure. These telecommunications breaches, which have reportedly targeted both private and government networks, give China unparalleled access to the inner workings of its adversaries.
“China is playing the long game,” Gen. Keane explained. “By compromising telecom networks, they’re embedding themselves into the systems we depend on daily. The result isn’t just data theft it’s the potential to disrupt our economy, our military communications, and even civilian life during a crisis. And yet, the U.S. response has been fragmented at best.”
According to Gen. Keane, the U.S. government and private sector are not moving fast enough to safeguard critical infrastructure or design countermeasures to thwart China’s rapidly advancing technological edge.
The Psychological Component of Cyber Warfare
Perhaps the most alarming element of this cyber offensive is its emphasis on psychological warfare. Experts have long noted that the CCP is adept at using social media platforms, covert information campaigns, and online bots to amplify political divisions and create distrust in institutions. By exploiting existing societal fissures, China aims to weaken the social fabric that holds democratic nations like the U.S. together.
“Cyber warfare is designed not just to disrupt systems but to manipulate the way we think and feel as a society,” said Keane. “They’re targeting things we take for granted truth, trust, and unity. And in doing so, they hope to erode the will to resist their advances.”
This psychological assault undermines public trust in everything from election systems to economic stability. Over time, the cumulative effects of such campaigns could weaken America’s ability to respond to crises, making the nation more vulnerable to physical, political, or economic coercion.
How Should the U.S. Respond?
Gen. Keane’s alarm serves as a call to action. The U.S. must pivot toward a more proactive stance in addressing China’s cyber threat. Key recommendations he outlined include:
- Investing in Cyber Defenses: Developing robust cybersecurity frameworks to safeguard critical infrastructure, from telecommunications to energy grids.
- Public-Private Collaboration: The private sector owns much of the infrastructure that could be targeted. Stronger partnerships between corporations and the government are essential to ensure comprehensive protection.
- Educating Citizens: Arm the public with the tools to identify and resist disinformation campaigns, fostering a more media-literate society.
- Expanding Offensive Capabilities: Just as defense is essential, the U.S. must maintain and develop offensive cyber capabilities to deter adversaries and respond to attacks.
- Strengthening Alliances: Collaborating with democratic allies to set global norms for cyber conduct and hold bad actors accountable.
The Stakes are High
Gen. Keane’s remarks underscore the gravity of the situation. China’s cyber warfare threat is multi-dimensional, targeting not only the U.S. government and military but also its people. If left unchecked, it has the potential to destabilize the very foundations of American society.
“The most dangerous battlefields of the future won’t be on land, at sea, or in the air,” Gen. Keane concluded. “They’ll be in cyberspace and the minds of people. This is where wars will be fought and won and it’s a fight the U.S. cannot afford to lose.”
As the U.S. grapples with this mounting threat, one thing remains clear: the defense of the country’s digital frontier must become a national priority. Failure to act decisively could leave the nation vulnerable to not just technological harms, but psychological ones as well threatening the very values and principles.
