Assessing Threats from China on the U.S. Intelligence Community: An Unclassified Executive Summary

Last week, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released an unclassified executive summary of its report, “The China Deep Dive: A Report on the Intelligence Community’s Capabilities and Competencies with Respect to the People’s Republic of China.” The report finds that the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) has not kept up with the emerging and growing threats from China and that over the past two decades, China has been able to transform itself into a formidable competitor. To address the challenges China now presents, the report emphasis that a national policy will be critical and offers 36 public recommendations, and over 100 classified recommendations, on how to equip the U.S. intelligence community with the resources needed to combat the security risks China poses.
 
After releasing the executive summary, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) stated, “Absent a significant and immediate reprioritization and realignment of resources, we will be ill-prepared to compete with China – diplomatically, economically, and militarily – on the global stage for decades to come.”
 
A press release accompanying the executive summary highlights five recommendations, which include:

• “The Intelligence Community has failed to fully achieve the integration objectives outlined in the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act for targets and topics unrelated to counterterrorism.”
• “The multidimensional nature of the challenge that China presents requires an enhanced focus on non-defense intelligence, particularly strategic analysis in support of…non-defense customers.”
• The Executive Branch, in consultation with Congress, “must undertake a zero-based review of all intelligence program expenditures…and take immediate corrective action to align taxpayer resources in support of strategic requirements.”
• “The IC should formalize and broaden programs designed to mentor the next generation of China analysts” and “nurture cadres of officers with China-focused expertise.”
• “The IC should consider developing a series of reskilling programs to leverage existing talent and expertise previously cultivated in counterterrorism programs.”

To view all 32 public recommendations, please reference the unclassified executive summary at: https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hpsci_china_deep_dive_redacted_summary_9.29.20.pdf