Crossroads Host talks about how China Spies Infiltrate, Undermine, and Sabotage the U.S. in order to Conquer America
Interview Begins at the 1:37:00 Mark Via Caravan to Midnight
In a wide-ranging conversation on Caravan to Midnight, host John B. Wells sat down with Epoch Times reporter and Crossroads host Joshua Philipp to dissect what they described as the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) long-running campaign to weaken and ultimately defeat the United States. The discussion centered on the CCP’s doctrine of “unrestricted warfare,” a strategy that goes far beyond traditional battlefield conflict and instead relies on infiltration, subversion, and the erosion of America’s foundations from within.
Philipp began by outlining the origins of unrestricted warfare. He pointed to the 1999 book written by two People’s Liberation Army colonels that set forth the blueprint for modern Chinese strategy. Instead of tanks and missiles, the CCP’s primary weapons would be economic manipulation, cyber intrusions, propaganda, and political influence. This strategy, Philipp explained, reflects the CCP’s recognition that it cannot match the U.S. head-to-head militarily, at least not yet. Instead, China aims to hollow out America’s resilience so that when confrontation does occur, the U.S. is too divided, demoralized, or compromised to mount an effective response.
Philipp says CCP Following Mao Playbook, not Sun Tzu
Wells pressed Philipp on how these theories translate into practice, and Philipp responded with a sweeping overview. He argued that the CCP has pursued infiltration at every level of American life. In politics, Beijing has cultivated relationships with local and national leaders, often through seemingly benign avenues such as sister-city programs, business partnerships, or cultural exchanges. In academia, Chinese funding and Confucius Institutes have been used to shape curricula, censor debate, and recruit talent. In business, Philipp said, Beijing exploits America’s open markets while systematically stealing intellectual property, gaining trillions of dollars in technological advantage at little cost.
The conversation turned to media and culture, where Philipp argued that the CCP’s influence is subtler but no less dangerous. Through Hollywood co-productions, Chinese market access, and control over supply chains, Beijing can shape how China is portrayed on screen—and more importantly, what subjects are never portrayed at all. Wells noted that such self-censorship has become second nature for many U.S. companies eager to avoid offending Beijing. Philipp called this a form of psychological warfare: America’s storytellers, once celebrated for speaking truth to power, are now conditioned to toe the CCP’s line.
Cyber warfare was another major theme. Philipp emphasized that while Americans often imagine hackers stealing credit card numbers or breaching company servers, the CCP’s goals are far more strategic. Cyber intrusions target critical infrastructure, defense contractors, and even personal data repositories, building a mosaic of intelligence that can be weaponized later. He described it as “laying the groundwork for the battlefield of tomorrow,” where America’s power grid, transportation systems, and communications could be disrupted without a single shot being fired.
Perhaps most troubling, Philipp argued, is the CCP’s deliberate effort to exploit America’s internal divisions. Through online disinformation campaigns and covert support for extremist narratives, Beijing fans the flames of polarization. Whether the issues are race, class, or politics, the goal is the same: to make Americans distrust one another and lose confidence in their institutions. Wells interjected that this strategy mirrors the old Soviet playbook but with far greater resources and reach, thanks to digital platforms. Philipp agreed, noting that the CCP has perfected the art of turning America’s freedoms into weapons against itself.
Both men stressed that the CCP’s strategy is patient and long-term. Unlike Western democracies, which often think in terms of election cycles, China operates on timelines spanning decades. Philipp said this explains why many Americans fail to grasp the seriousness of the threat: there is no “Pearl Harbor moment” to galvanize action. Instead, the damage accrues slowly until one day it becomes irreversible.
In closing, Wells asked what can be done. Philipp argued that the first step is awareness—recognizing that the CCP is not just a geopolitical rival but an adversary engaged in a form of total warfare. He called for stronger protections of intellectual property, stricter scrutiny of foreign influence in academia and politics, and a reinvigoration of American civic culture. Above all, he urged Americans to rediscover confidence in their own values of liberty, rule of law, and transparency, which he said remain the CCP’s greatest fear.
The interview ended on a sober but determined note. For Philipp, the CCP’s campaign of unrestricted warfare is real, ongoing, and effective—but not unstoppable. America’s greatest vulnerability, he concluded, is complacency. If Americans awaken to the infiltration and resist it, they can blunt Beijing’s advance. But if they remain distracted or divided, the CCP may achieve its goal of victory without war.
