The belief that arduous negotiations with Beijing, expecting China to follow the gospel of markets and respect for the rule of law would coax the communist nation into democratic capitalism was always an illusion. Three decades of engagement have proved it false. China has not converged with the U.S.-led postwar order; it has collided with it. The collision is structural, ideological and irreconcilable. We must be clear: Peaceful coexistence with the Chinese Communist Party is not unlikely. It is impossible. History shows why. In the 1930s, Western leaders believed negotiations and concessions would temper Adolf Hitler. Munich did not prevent war; it hastened it. In 1939, Josef Stalin joined Hitler in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, proving totalitarian regimes will cooperate against liberal systems whenever it suits them. During the Cold War, detente was supposed to stabilize relations with Moscow, even as the Soviet Union repressed its people and expanded abroad even more. In each case, illusions of coexistence ended in confrontation. China today is no exception. The incompatibility begins with China’s closed society in a world order built on openness and reciprocity. Nearly 300,000 Chinese study in America each year, but fewer than 1,000 American students are in China. This imbalance is deliberate. The CCP drains knowledge from abroad but blocks reciprocity through surveillance, censorship and regulation. The digital divide is even sharper. Americans can download TikTok, a Chinese app whose data practices raise national security alarms. Yet the CCP makes all American social media platforms - including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Gmail, LinkedIn and Google - unavailable to the Chinese people.

Venezuelan forces were outfitted with Chinese and Russian equipment specifically designed and intended to prevent airplanes from flying over one’s nation. Those systems obviously failed. In the wake of the successful attack by the United States, there has been a lot of talk about who might be next and which nations should be nervous. Cuba? Sure. Colombia? Eventually. Iran? The commentariat failed to point out that should be most nervous is the Chinese Communist Party. China is rapidly coming to some sort of decision about how and when to jump across the Formosa Strait and invade Taiwan. What happened Jan. 3 in Caracas was important to the Western Hemisphere. The most important part of the story may be that the U.S. military demonstrated that it is superior in weaponry and skill to any other force on the planet. Communist China’s weapons systems had a real-world test, and it was a disaster. That has to be giving the crew in Beijing, which would like to be global bullies, nightmares. The simple reality is that the communists in China have not been involved in a legitimate shooting war in 75 years. They have had no real way to test and improve their weapons under battlefield conditions. Every single one of their weapons systems is essentially undergoing a beta test the first time they are used in combat. Anything that erodes Beijing’s confidence in its own weapons and soldiers and increases its sense of discomfort about invading Taiwan (or anywhere) is a good thing. The attack in Caracas may have saved Taiwan. We tend to overestimate the ability of communist China. Perhaps we shouldn’t.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung recently commanded his Ministry of Government Legislation to pursue “institutional measures to enable dissolution orders for religious foundations.” Unfortunately, this open attempt to oppress Christianity in South Korea is merely the most immediate symptom of a larger disease and yet another example of the hatred of conservatives that has become a hallmark of the Democratic Party of Korea. The DPK has censored and oppressed all conservative political discourse and self-expression. It has denied any Koreans publicly espousing right-wing values. Mr. Lee recently ordered various official government agencies to “aggressively crack down on hate speech” and commanded his Justice Ministry to “pursue the amendment of the country’s criminal code to that end,” a thinly veiled green light to snuff out all conservative free speech in South Korea. The DPK has openly persecuted and terrorized a slew of conservative political actors and organizations. The party has persecuted and arrested various Christian leaders, including Hak Ja Han, Even Morse Tan, ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice in the first Trump administration, recently condemned the DPK’s purge of all conservative political actors, saying it’s like “the things done by leftist dictatorships.” Even President Trump recently posted on social media: “WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Seems like a Purge or Revolution” and said he had “heard bad things. … It [doesn’t] sound to me like South Korea.” If Mr. Trump doesn’t immediately intervene to quash the DPK’s attemp, what remains of South Korea’s democracy will soon collapse under the weight of the party’s assault.

Taiwan can play a crucial role in changing communist China. For 76 years, the CCP has regarded Taiwan as a stubborn obstacle to its narrative of communist liberation, now disguised as national reunification. However, in the same decades, Taiwan has transformed itself from an authoritarian rule into one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. This success is not merely symbolic; it demonstrates that Chinese-speaking societies can uphold modern democratic values, a reality the CCP finds existentially threatening. Taiwan’s freedom is a rebuke to Beijing’s claim that democracy is incompatible with Chinese culture. This too renders a powerful argument for the truth: Taiwan is not just a regional issue but also an ideological one. Its democratic achievements inspire millions across the strait. Countless captive Chinese citizens are asking themselves a quiet question: If the Taiwanese people can freely choose their leaders, why can’t we? Taiwan’s existence challenges authoritarianism at its ideological core, and the CCP autocratic leadership is deeply frightened by Taiwan’s inspirational power. Churchill saw in 1955 what remains painfully true: Taiwan’s status is an international matter because its future will shape the world’s. Beijing’s insistence that this is a “domestic issue” is not a statement of sovereignty but a strategy of aggression. The world must not mistake the CCP’s language of national reunification for the logic of conquest. Defending Taiwan is not only about preserving one island’s freedom. In standing with Taiwan, the world stands for its own security, prosperity and ideals.

Russia’s mutual defense treaty with North Korea is a major setback for the U.S. and our European allies and partners. The concern is that Russia will not stop with its war against Ukraine. An emboldened Mr. Putin may attack other European nations in his attempt to reestablish the Soviet Union, the collapse of which Mr. Putin has lamented the demise of “historical Russia.” Russia now has a nuclear North Korea, a country with which the to assist it with any potential military adventurism in Europe, in addition to its war in Ukraine. The irony is that North Korea wanted (and still wants) a normal relationship with the U.S. Negotiations with North Korea formally ended in 2009 when it pulled out of the six-party talks. Since then, the nation has been on a race to build more nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles while the U.S. has pursued a policy of “strategic patience,” an attempt to contain and deter the country while sanctioning it for repeated violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions. Strategic patience failed because we thought North Korea would acquiesce and voluntarily return to credible denuclearization talks. It didn’t. It ignored the U.S. and built more nuclear weapons and missiles while continuing illicit activities: cryptocurrency theft worth billions of dollars and counterfeiting U.S. currency, pharmaceuticals and cigarettes, to name just a few, all created to generate cash for nuclear and missile programs. In 2026 Mr. Kim will again declare that North Korea is exponentially increasing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs while reinforcing its close, allied relationship with the Russian Federation.

If recent events don’t prove to you that Islam is now the No. 1 enemy of the civilized world, then you are blind. A little more than 10 years ago, Bill Maher said the following: “Islam is not like other religions. It is a unique threat. … There are illiberal beliefs that are held by vast numbers of Muslims.” “Vast numbers of Christians do not believe that if you leave the Christian religion, you should be killed for it. Vast numbers of Christians do not treat women as second-class citizens. Vast numbers of Christians do not believe that if you draw a picture of Jesus Christ that you should get killed for it.” He went on. “Most Muslim people in the world condone violence just for what you think. There was a Pew poll done in Egypt a few years ago, [where] 82% said stoning was the appropriate punishment for adultery. Over 80% thought death was the appropriate punishment for leaving the Muslim religion.” “To claim that this religion is just like other religions is just naive and plain wrong. … In Saudi Arabia, for example, they just beheaded [several] people, most for nonviolent crimes, including homosexuality.” All religions are not the same. It’s not the Christians who are calling to stone people for their immorality or to behead those who deny the faith. Islam and Christianity are very different worldviews. One seeks to change the world through “love, joy, peace, patiencel,” while the other tells its adherents to pick up the sword. One is the enemy of Western civilization, while the other is its last line of defense.

The Indo-Pacific’s stability depends on the ability to deter coercion and uphold the principles of openness and free navigation. The United States has no greater ally in the region than Japan. As Beijing presses its territorial claims, the urgency for Tokyo and Washington to build on their historic partnership has never been greater. The Japan-U.S. alliance has long been the cornerstone of regional peace and stability. American technology and intelligence have been complemented by Japan’s strategic geography and steadfast commitment to ensuring the Pacific remains free and open. The Trump administration is also demonstrating an increasing interest in Indo-Pacific security and the growing risks to international security and prosperity posed by “destabilizing” actors, such as China. At the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Mr. Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to improving its force across the region, including planned upgrades to U.S. Forces Japan headquarters. The challenges confronting the alliance are significant. China has intensified incursions into Japanese waters and expanded its “gray zone” tactics in the South China Sea. China has continued to step up its military and political pressure on Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to secure its claim to the island. Beijing’s threat shows no signs of relenting and underscores the necessity of strong bilateral cooperation between Tokyo and Washington. The reality remains that without sustained support from Washington, Japan cannot deter an increasingly assertive China on its own.

AI can be manipulated. Some people believe AI systems are similar to that of a computer or even a pocket calculator. But AI systems don’t arrive in the world value-neutral. They are trained on data curated by humans, and their responses are shaped by political, cultural and ideological assumptions. We have already seen this in action. Chinese models seemed to be programmed to suppress any mention of state-sanctioned atrocities. China’s DeepSeek AI refused to produce answers to prompts having to do with the Tiananmen Square massacre, the slave camps in Xinjiang, or anything perceived as critical of the Chinese Communist Party or Xi Jinping. In the name of “inclusion” or “stability,” these systems can essentially outline the boundaries of acceptable thought. If we allow ideological monocultures in Big Tech or authoritarian governments to define the rules, AI will become an engine of invisible coercion, nudging behaviors, filtering speech. This is not a niche issue for futurists or coders. It’s a defining challenge for anyone who believes in human dignity, free thought and decentralized power. AI is a lever that could reshape culture, economics and governance. Conservatives have a responsibility to engage, not to halt innovation but to guide it. If we don’t help define the moral limits of AI, others will do it for us, and their vision may not include liberty, transparency or individual rights. The clock is ticking. If we want a future built on human freedom, we must act before the systems that shape tomorrow are locked into place.

AI will be disruptive to society. A common argument is that AI is no different from past technological disruptions. Just as the sewing machine and the automobile displaced certain jobs but created new ones, many believe AI will follow a similar trajectory. That belief offers comfort, but it may be dangerously naive. AI isn’t about just replacing cashiers or factory workers. It can potentially replace lawyers, teachers, analysts, editors, journalists and many other so-called white-collar professions. Once seen as stable and future-proof, the knowledge economy is now squarely on the chopping block. Past industrial disruptions unfolded over decades, but AI is on track to remake the workforce in just a few years. Studies from Goldman Sachs and other organizations forecast job losses in the tens of millions. We’re not talking about just automation; we’re talking about AI becoming the brains of entire operations, including logistics, customer support and creative development. Opting out is not an option. You may think you can avoid the AI revolution by choosing not to participate. In the past, many resisted the allure of the internet, decided not to get a smartphone or abstained from creating social media accounts. Despite your best attempts, you cannot prevent AI from changing your world. AI will be embedded into banking systems, school curricula, medical diagnostics, government planning tools. These systems won’t just assist; they will influence decisions, dictate outcomes and increasingly operate without human oversight. Once AI becomes woven into the foundations of daily life, society and individuals alike will become increasingly dependent upon it.

Here are five critical truths about artificial intelligence. AI is a force multiplier. There’s a popular myth that every generation overreacts to new technology, but AI doesn’t belong in the same category as the cotton gin or the telephone. This isn’t just about doing tasks faster or more efficiently. AI performs cognitive labor that once required years of education and training, such as writing contracts, debugging software, crafting marketing campaigns and analyzing medical data. It’s improving fast. Tools such as GPT-4, Claude and Gemini already showcase capabilities that rival and sometimes surpass human professionals. AI can be used to write articles, legal briefs and many other things at a level beyond that of a typical person ? and it is only getting better. We’re not watching a linear progression; we’re watching a rocket launch. If we think society will have time to “ease into” this transition, we’re deluding ourselves. AI is already incredibly smart. Today’s frontier systems outperform the average human on complex tasks, standardized tests and creative challenges. They are designing products, generating strategy memos and even helping diagnose health problems. Seemingly every week, OpenAI, Elon’s X, Google or Anthropic releases a new model that sets a higher bar for artificial intelligence. Regular testing of these models by organizations such as Tracking AI shows they already exceed the IQ of average human intelligence. Whether AI ever becomes “self-aware” is beside the point. Its capabilities right now are enough to restructure entire industries and workflows, and they are already doing so.