The U.S. and China are locked in a strategic rivalry across multiple domains. While much attention has been paid to semiconductors, artificial intelligence and military capabilities, an overlooked component of geopolitical competition is China’s pollution.

China intentionally bypasses or ignores environmental regulations to gain economic and strategic advantages that threaten American power. Meanwhile, the U.S. plays by the rules with industries that are among the cleanest in the world, only to be undermined by dirty Chinese industries. By targeting pollution as a domain of competition, the U.S. can hold China accountable, leveling the playing field and safeguarding our industrial and geopolitical edge.

China’s environmental footprint is abysmal. As the world’s largest polluter, China’s coal-heavy energy grid, which operates with virtually non-existent industrial standards, produces pollution that transcends borders and pollutes our air and water. This environmental recklessness is a strategic weapon for the state-driven Chinese economy.

By prioritizing short-term economic gains over responsible business practices, China floods global markets with low-cost products to gain a competitive edge. Beijing’s relentless expansion of its industrial base in core sectors like steel and aluminum has been fueled by a deliberate strategy of unabated pollution and lax environmental enforcement, coupled with heavy state subsidies. This........

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