Experts on the threat of the Chinese Communist Threat talk about the Harrowing New Film Unrestricted War
At a Premiere movie event for the new film Unrestricted War, Frank J. Gaffney, President of the Institute for the American Future and Casey Fleming, president of Black Ops Partners gave their insightful and alarming analysis to Congressional representatives about the threat of China to the U.S.
It’s queued up to start with Gaffney’s analysis.
On July 31, 2025, Capitol Hill hosted the premiere of The Unrestricted War, a political thriller dramatizing the Chinese Communist Party’s covert campaign against the United States. Immediately following the screening, a panel discussion featuring national security expert Frank Gaffney and cyber intelligence strategist Casey Fleming unpacked the very real threats the film portrayed. What emerged was a stark reminder that China’s war on America is already underway—without a single shot fired.
Gaffney opened with a warning that the Chinese Communist Party is not merely a geopolitical competitor but an existential threat. He explained that the CCP’s strategy is rooted in a doctrine of unrestricted warfare—an approach that uses non-military tools like economic pressure, cyberattacks, disinformation, intellectual property theft, biological warfare, and infiltration of American institutions to achieve dominance.
Fleming echoed that assessment and emphasized how modern warfare no longer fits into conventional categories. The CCP’s tactics are designed to destabilize America from within by exploiting openness, reliance on global supply chains, and an increasingly unguarded digital environment. He warned that many in Washington continue to underestimate the scope of the threat or misunderstand its unconventional nature.
A central topic was the CCP’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both panelists cited it as a real-world example of unrestricted warfare. The virus emerged from Wuhan, yet Chinese officials silenced doctors, manipulated global health organizations, and launched a propaganda blitz to shift blame. Meanwhile, American dependence on Chinese pharmaceutical ingredients and PPE revealed dangerous vulnerabilities.
The panelists also addressed how the CCP is extending influence inside the United States—through financial investments, partnerships with academia, and corporate infiltration. Gaffney explained that China is not just attacking U.S. capabilities but reengineering the decision-making environment of the country itself.
Both speakers called for immediate action. Gaffney urged the U.S. government to expose and eliminate Chinese influence operations on American soil. Fleming advocated for stricter export controls on sensitive technology and the development of new systems to track and limit CCP access to U.S. innovation and infrastructure.
Above all, both agreed that public awareness is essential. The American people need to understand that the Chinese Communist Party is not engaged in diplomacy—it is waging a full-spectrum war. The premiere of The Unrestricted War wasn’t just a film screening; it was a wake-up call.
The event concluded with a pointed call for legislative and civic mobilization. Panelists urged lawmakers in attendance to recognize the urgency of the situation—not just in terms of national defense, but also in economic policy, education, and technology regulation. Fleming stressed that without a coordinated national response, the United States risks falling victim to a long-term strategic dismantling of its core systems. He cited recent data breaches, the proliferation of Chinese-owned data platforms, and a deeply compromised supply chain as red flags that should no longer be ignored.
Gaffney emphasized that bipartisan denial has allowed the CCP to entrench itself across American life. He called on congressional leaders to pass strong counterintelligence legislation and to reassess trade dependencies that give China leverage in times of crisis. The panel also encouraged private citizens and local leaders to demand transparency from universities and corporations that partner with CCP-linked entities.
Ultimately, the screening and panel underscored that this is not a future threat—it is an ongoing attack. The CCP is exploiting every open door, every unguarded institution, and every moment of American complacency. If the U.S. fails to recognize the nature of this war, it will have lost before it even realizes it was under attack.
