WASHINGTON — CIA Director John Ratcliffe emphasised the looming navy, technological and financial threats from China in an inside memo to staff two days earlier than President Trump’s commerce struggle towards Beijing took off, whereas additionally asserting a streamlined workforce in coordination with the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), The Submit can reveal.
Ratcliffe, who vowed to focus on China as a “high nationwide safety menace” in his affirmation hearings, wrote that his and President Trump’s “near-term priorities for CIA” put Beijing “on the very high of that record,” in line with the March 31 doc.
“No adversary within the historical past of our Nation has introduced a extra formidable problem or a extra succesful strategic competitor than the Chinese language Communist Social gathering (CCP),” he wrote. “It’s intent on dominating the world economically, militarily, and technologically, and it’s aggressively attempting to outcompete America in each nook of the globe.”
As well as, Ratcliffe instructed members of The Firm to be vigilant about threats from Russia, Iran, North Korea and different cyber attackers and terror cells, whereas suggesting Elon Musk’s DOGE could be serving to to chop prices and presumably lay off pointless staff.
“We would be the final meritocracy, and which means we are going to make use of, develop, empower, and retain officers who’re steadfastly centered on our mission,” the previous Texas congressman stated.
“For many years, CIA has identified nothing however progress, however the years of rising budgets and sources are behind us. Shifting ahead, you may be a part of a smaller, extra elite and environment friendly workforce.”
Ratcliffe added that he hoped company leaders would “tackle extra dangers” to “preserve China in our rear-view window” — together with with using AI and quantum computing in partnership with non-public contractors to create extra resilient US infrastructure and goal adversaries.
“It gained’t be straightforward, however I pledge to steer the cost in serving to us do exactly that,” Ratcliffe vowed. “We can not afford to proceed the established order, as a result of whoever wins the expertise race of as we speak will lead the world of tomorrow.”
The China-linked Salt Storm hacking group reportedly breached US telecommunications programs in 2023 and ran amok for 18 months accumulating knowledge on a whole lot of 1000’s of telephone numbers, together with for units tied to President Trump and Vice President JD Vance — earlier than the extent of the breach was realized.
On Wednesday, Trump paused his “Liberation Day” international tariffs on many countries — besides China, which he stated would face as much as 125% duties on items and an additional 20% levy for the proliferation of precursor chemical substances made to create the lethal artificial opioid fentanyl.
China responded by slapping 125% import taxes on American items — at the same time as each international locations stay high buying and selling companions with one another.
“Defending the homeland and American lives is essential among the many President’s priorities, and this consists of stemming the movement of lethal narcotics into the US,” Ratcliffe affirmed within the memo.
The spy boss additionally echoed claims from the Trump administration that transnational prison teams and cartels have been “waging a struggle” towards the US — and urged brokers to do extra “to disrupt and deter these networks whereas sustaining strain on different terrorist threats.”
Trump made use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport a whole lot of purported Tren de Aragua gang members to an El Salvador mega-prison final month — however had confronted an uphill battle from federal judges earlier than the Supreme Courtroom gave him the OK to invoke the wartime authority.
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