US should fight China before it's too late: Intel chief

ANKARA

The US should fight China before it is too late, according to the nation’s director of national intelligence.

There are many people who for economic and political reasons do not want China to be the greatest threat to the US, John Ratcliffe told conservative outlet Fox News in an interview late Monday.

"But the intelligence doesn't lie. China is our greatest threat," he warned. "No other country has the capability of essentially taking away the American dream and a specific plan to do so."

Ratcliffe was nominated by US President Donald Trump and sworn in to replace Dan Coats on May 26.

The intel chief said China wants to dominate the world economically, technologically, and militarily, adding that it has already amassed the largest navy in the world.

He also claimed China is "engaged in gene-editing," using genetic modification to alter the DNA of its 2 million soldiers to make them stronger.

Even though China knows the US is still the superpower, they "bank on the fact that we are not going to do anything until they are superior," he added.

"Great generals always say it is better to fight downhill. Right now, the United States can fight downhill against China," he said.

Despite acknowledging Russia as a "dangerous adversary," Ratcliffe said it lacks the economic might to compete with the US.

"Russia is not in the top 10. Italy, Brazil, and the state of Texas have a larger economy than Russia," he said.

Ratcliffe said China understands information is key to their global dominance and that is why they have been "subsidizing Huawei and ZTE," two major Chinese technology corporations.

"They know that they can steal more information if they run the telecommunications networks over which our information travels."

The US and China are currently engaged in fierce trade and technology competition, as well as a turf war heating up in the South China Sea.

China's Hong Kong and Taiwan policies are two other thorny issues that have the potential to bring the two global rivals to the brink of war.