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Friends to Liberty Statement on Family and Marriage 7/10/2026 Over recent years, a number of recurring themes have emerged across the global community. Based on that experience, and dialogue among likeminded leaders who share principles and a passion for enabling change that leads to more free, secure, and prosperous sovereign nations, we have identified common challenges and responses with the intent to help inspire, encourage collaboration, further networking, and promoting initiatives. We as the Friends To Liberty work to empower and enable those committed to change. No issue demands more attention, commitment, and fearless action than the defense of family and marriage. The family is the foundation of civilization, and marriage—the committed union of one man and one woman—is its cornerstone. We commend the following acts as essential to accelerating the rising global consensus that nurturing strong families is fundamental to the future of human flourishing—and ought to be top priority for all of us. The defense of family and marriage demands policies and norms that encourage marriage, work, and large and growing families. This demands: Insisting governments stop punishing and hindering couples who seek to marry and have children. Authorities must also be more than “neutral.” Family formation performs crucial role in developing communities with strong culture, faith, demographic health, and national purpose and ought to be protected, preserved, empowered in policy and law. Reject gender identity and other radical theories that harm children, undermine biological truth, and threaten the natural family. Support the Geneva Consensus Declaration (https://c-fam.org/wp- content/uploads/geneva-consensus-declaration-english.pdf) and the right of every sovereign nation to decide for itself how to achieve “the highest attainable standards of health for women; to promote women’s essential contribution to health, and strength of the family and of a successful and flourishing society; and to express the essential priority of protecting the right to life.” Promote work. Work ennobles humans, helps give their lives meaning, and allows parents to provide for their children. We should strive for a society that grows prosperity, embracing a culture of marriage and work, with policies that should help parents struggling to provide for their children without the government usurping their role as providers. Respect and empower parental rights from issues concerning health and education to matters of faith, values, and belief. Honor motherhood as work and stop penalizing mothers who choose it. Where a mother steps back from the workforce to raise her children, both governments and civil society have a responsibilty to support rather than criticize or punish that choice — treating time devoted to raising the next generation as socially valuable labor in its own right. Support motherhood as an appreciated development path for women — one held in no less esteem than a professional career. Promote popular culture that embraces, ennobles, and empowers a culture of family, marriage, and work including an appreciation of motherhood, and eliminate stigmatizing mothers who choose to leave the workforce to raise their children. The social prestige of motherhood must be restored. At the same time, we should acknowledge the importance of fathers not just as providers but their role in childrearing and instilling values and virtue such as moral guidance, integrity, and patriotism.

Standing-up In Defense of Family and Marriage

On 5 July 2025, Zagreb witnessed one of the most remarkable public demonstrations of faith and national identity in modern European history. More than 500,000 people gathered at the Zagreb Hippodrome for what has been described as the largest paid concert ever held, with attendees travelling from across Croatia and the Croatian diaspora throughout Europe, North America, Australia, and South America. What unfolded was far more than a concert. It became a powerful public affirmation of Christianity, the family, national heritage, and the enduring moral foundations that have shaped Croatian society for centuries. In an era often characterised by secularisation and demographic decline, the event demonstrated that the Christian faith remains a living and unifying force for hundreds of thousands of Europeans.<img id="oojusep5r5mr10w8w7" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/cWoLRImJCg8kL6ePxq9DNo59YICdc05Hpk46xg0VLHVuJLMvs0TnpWN9p5gbUA5Z.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/cWoLRImJCg8kL6ePxq9DNo59YICdc05Hpk46xg0VLHVuJLMvs0TnpWN9p5gbUA5Z.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" style="border-color: rgb(229, 231, 235); --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(62,172,255,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-transform: translateX(0) translateY(0) rotate(0) skewX(0) skewY(0) scaleX(1) scaleY(1); --tw-border-opacity: 1; --tw-filter: ; --tw-backdrop-filter: ; --tw-bg-opacity: 1; background-color: rgb(243, 244, 246); width: 640px; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; object-position: center center;">The significance of the gathering extends well beyond Croatia. Across the Western world, societies are confronting declining&nbsp;birth rates, weakening family formation, growing social fragmentation, and a loss of confidence in the cultural inheritance that gave rise to ordered liberty and democratic self-government. The extraordinary response in Zagreb suggests that many Europeans are not seeking to abandon their civilizational foundations, but to rediscover them. Faith, family, and national identity continue to provide meaning, social cohesion, and hope for future generations. They remain indispensable pillars of a confident and flourishing Western civilization.&nbsp;Friends to Liberty believes that the renewal of the West will not be achieved through economic growth or military strength alone. Lasting renewal begins with strong families, vibrant churches, responsible citizenship, and confidence in the Christian moral tradition that has shaped the institutions of freedom across Europe and North America. Events such as the Catholic Christian concert in Zagreb remind us that the future of Western civilization will ultimately depend upon whether we take initiative in our communities to preserve and strengthen the values which have sustained it for generations.

A Historic Gathering: Faith and Identity Unite in Zagreb

gray concrete building near trees during daytime

Across the nations of Europe and North America, antisemitism is on the rise. There is not a single country where Jewish individuals and institutions are free from attack. Many countries have been forced to create special police or military units to protect synagogues and Jewish community centers. The rise of antisemitism has closely followed the rise of Muslim immigration and the radicalization of the political Left. The common cause of hating Jews has led Marxists and Islamists to join forces to marginalize Jewish presence in society. Jews have been advised to hide their Jewishness by removing jewelry with the Star of David or wearing a cap instead of a kippa. Recently another group has joined the bandwagon of Jew-hatred. This new movement led by podcasters and pundits, these individuals have promoted historical revisionists that make the U.S. and UK villains of World War II. They spread conspiracies about Israel and Jewish control of world leaders. Frequently, these voices will use Christian motifs and language to push their hate. This is evil. No matter what the source, there is no space for Jew Hate in the Free World. The goal of the Marxist (Red), Islamist (Green), Political Antisemites (Black) alliance is the destruction of Western Civilization. For it was out of the reading of the Bible, the Old and New Testaments, that political philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries shaped our understanding of freedom and the rights of man. These attacks currently focus on the Jews but will quickly expand to Christians and all people of conscience if they are given the chance. To confront this challenge, we must: Act:We must combat the Global Intifada. The enemies of freedom have embraced Jew Hate as an instrument of hybrid and political warfare exercised through sophisticated, well-funded and politically connected networks. These are weapons being used to undermine the Free World. The most important task is to demolish these networks whether supported and directed by foreign states like China and Russia, Islamists, or domestic radicals. These networks must be mapped, exposed, delegitimized, disrupted, defeated, and demolished. These efforts, paired with positive vision and action with our friends and allies across the Islamic world such as the work of the Board of Peace and U.S. led efforts in reconstruction in places like Gaza, Lebanon and Syria,&nbsp; the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC), the Abraham Accords, and the development of &amp; free and open spaces and linking peoples and nations together.Educate: This is not a fight for one generation. We must gird civilization now and for the future to combat an ancient scourge. We have a generation that has grown up without the lessons of the past. They do not remember or have direct experience with the Holocaust, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the violent Marxist revolutions across Africa and South America. We must expose the correlation between the rise of Islamic influence in Europe and the U.S. and the rise in antisemitism. We must educate about the history of antisemitism and the destructive ideology that flows from this evil. Mobilize: Armed with an understanding of the grave threat of antisemitism and what must be done to defeat it, we must press them to turn that knowledge into action. It’s not enough to have a defensive orientation towards preventing attacks on Jews. We must put forth policies and actions that defeat the threat. This challenge is as much, if not more, for civil society and individuals than governments. Jew Hate is in our communities, and it is our problem. One example of collective effort is the U.S. National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism Pledge and its list of resources. You can find the pledge and all their resources at www.NTFCAntisemitism.org.Signed,&nbsp;Peter W. Wood, National Association of Scholars, Faith McDonnell, Rodrigo Arenas, Russel A. Berman, James Jay Carafano, Frank Furedi, Director, MCC Brussels, Katie Hagstrom, Victor Gonzalez, Daniel Greenfield, CEO, David Horowitz Freedom Center, Morton A. Klein, Daniel Lacalle,&nbsp; CEO, Alpha Strategy Consulting, Juliana Geran Pilon, Ambassador Carla Sands, Joseph Schneider, Visiting Fellow, Pepperdine University Institute of Diplomacy, Security, and Innovation, Susan Silverie, Salo Zelermyer, Filip Styczyński, &nbsp; Mario Bramnick, Michael Westcott, Allies for Strong Canada, Giorgi Labadze, Ph.D.&nbsp; Georgian - American Freedom Alliance, Bepi Pezzulli Political Director, Italia Atlantica, Giorgi Labadze, Ph.D., Karina Rollins Senior Editor, Policy Publications

Meeting the Challenge of Jew Hate in Europe and America

A Vision for Conservatives in Space: Human Flourishing, the Human Journey, and Our Place in Space The Artemis Accords are a set of non-binding, U.S.-led principles established under American President Donald J. Trump in 2020 to guide civil space exploration and the use of space. Sixty-seven nations signed the accords, a coalition spanning North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Foundational to this agreement are many ideas rooted in conservative thought including respect for national sovereignty, natural rights, and the power of private enterprise. Worldwide conservatives should be the strongest champions for the place of free peoples in space. This is not only vital for the future prosperity, freedom, and security of Americans and friendly and allied nations, space is crucial for the advancement of humanity. As the great stewards of human flourishing, conservatives should take leading role in the thought and action of securing the place of free peoples in space. In the next 50 years, there may only be a modest number of humans in space, but there will be an enormous amount of human activity in space, activity that will shape terrestrial life. Without a stronger, bolder vision, free nations cannot counter China’s long-term plan for dominance in space (as well as partners such as Russia) who would deliver a dark future for all humankind. China intends to dominate space by 2049 (the 100 year anniversary of the CCP). Control of space equals control of Earth. This is a race we could lose. In fact, we likely will lose without substantially revitalizing our national effort and federal leadership. We must be more than just spacefaring nations. Free peoples must lead in the space domain and thwart Chinese efforts to expand their systems of governance and economy into space. Our goal is to empower human activity in the Solar System to enable the objective of greater human flourishing, pioneering the exploration of Mars. Erase the conceptual barrier between earthbound life and activities across the Solar System. The sphere of human action is one continuum. We can no longer think of choices between attending to life on Earth or reaching into outer space. These are false options. Our interests and investments span both—seamlessly safeguarding our interests to the furthest reach of the expansion of human activity. Our values and ideals endure altitudes and gravitational fields. We should extend the actions and principles of keeping our people free, safe, and prosperous in earthly affairs to our deepest horizons. We have three tasks.&nbsp; We must: 1. Lead in establishing de facto that access to and freedom to operate in space remains as vital and inviolable as freedom of the sea—actively defending the “freedom of the Solar System.” This requires having the capacity to protect free trade and travel and defend space infrastructure. This is much more than just advocating for norms, but having the capability to achieve and enforce the actual outcomes we want in the space domain. To accomplish this, space forces must have a robust offense-defense mix, or the right balance of sensors versus shooters. Friends, allies, and partners that wish to share the benefits of the commons must contribute to the common defense of space infrastructure. China must be deterred and blocked from malicious space activity. 2. Win the competition for leading a new era of space commercial technology including commercial activities that extend into the Solar System. The objective is not only grow space business but growing our capacity to do business in space. 3. Eliminate barriers to growing space power including empowering human resources, investment, research, use of energy and natural resources, and expanding industrial capacity. We must reduce by 1,000 times the cost of deliver a ton of cargo into space. Future Life in Space There is no distinction in responsibility, opportunity, or morality between life on-Earth or off-Earth. There is only life. God endowed humans with the capacity to explore and expand in the preservation of inalienable rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In testing the limits of human reach, we follow God’s will. If we do this right, not abusing God’s gift, we promote human flourishing for our people and the worlds on which we dwell. Vision must comport to both the realities of operating in space and the nature of all human activity. The notion that human endeavors in space can be conducted or managed differently from human action on Earth is fatuous. The physical environment and how one operates is very different in space, but human nature and economic principles don’t change. Utopian visions of life in space are no more realistic than they were for creating paradise on this planet. Nor do we have to give into an irrational fear that competition in space will inevitably lead to war, disaster, or rapacious exploitation and degradation of environments and peoples. We choose and shape our destiny. The great adventure of expanding humanity’s reach in space, however, is no easy task. The experience of the previous great ages of human exploration and expansion on earth are not just our past. They are our future in space. There will be competition, tragedy, loss, achievement, problems and progress. This is inevitable. The challenges can only be met with determination and resilience, deliberation and responsible action. No human activity is free of malefactors. We should be clear-eyed. China’s vision for space seeks a naked expansion of power, dominance, and appropriation. China has both the means and will to realize its vision. Beijing has malicious partners and fellow travelers. Astropolitical competition will inevitably be an extension of geopolitics. That is unavoidable. We cannot create a framework for equitable cooperation with adversarial powers in space. We must deny them the ways and means to push their totalitarian governance on all of humanity. The free world has the power to disrupt and outmatch China’s ambition in space. This will require decades of effort across multiple administrations and governments, rising to this challenge to safeguard its own economic and military interests and to secure the promise of human flourishing. If we fail to adopt and implement a strategy for success in space, then world will forfeit its future to China. Current Assessment Increasingly, China and other adversaries (in collaborative effort) are already and will increasingly export grey zone tactics, to include dual-use technologies, to space. We needcomprehensive national efforts to assess, let alone counter, these threat, requiring better efforts to ensure cooperation across space agencies; balance civil and national security space; integrate commercial space; and improve joint efforts with allies and partners. Beijing’s global narrative is that China’s role in space is beneficial to humanity. This is a lie. Yet, China is persuading people in Western societies and elsewhere that China’s space infrastructure is for the benefit of humanity, offering developing countries subsidized space infrastructure. We must effectively counter China in this sphere of competition nor be thwarted Beijing’s manipulative efforts to monopolize international and multinational institutions. Further, we have not adequately protected its intellectual property from Chinese exploitation and expropriation. Space will emerge as the most important domain of warfare in determining the victory of war on earth. Space has proven to be a rapidly evolving domain in terms of congestion and enemy counterspace capabilities. A far-reaching space vision and strategy, resources and supported by the right capabilities, is needed to accomplish the missions of future space forces. Commercial space technology has demonstrated incredible innovation and potential. We must fully exploit it. Cislunar space (the area surrounding Earth, extending up to the Moon’s orbit) is an essential strategic domain for national security and commercial opportunity. Current efforts are not robust enough to be assured a dominant role in this region. From Vision to Strategy Free nations must be able to defend their vital interests. That, however, is not sufficient. We must move from a positive vision to embrace the strategy of exploration, expansion, exploitation, and exclusion (denial of malfeasance in outer space). Here we address the priorities for both. Providing for the Common Defense Restoring deterrence in space is the single greatest and most important task for ensuring the extension of humanity into space. We believe in peace through strength on earth and beyond. Within the decade, we must be able to defend against all types of counterspace attack from China—both kinetic and non-kinetic. The best deterrent strategy requires an offense-defense mix—sufficient capacity to protect and defense space systems and hold at risk what adversaries hold vital. Situational awareness of space activity is important, but completely inadequate. Our space situational awareness is our eyes in the sky and ability to see what friendly and enemy satellites are doing. This is a foundational capability, but we are woefully behind. We need to do better here, as well as with offensive/defensive counterspace. This requires two kinds of robust capabilities: traditional launch (for missions including C2, ISR, situational awareness) and counterspace (including kinetic, non-kinetic, and electronic weapons, such jammers and spoofer, and cyber). The space forces we need should have the authorities, doctrine, acquisition programs, and the capability to defend space systems that support other armed forces, as well as conduct offensive operations and maneuver to ensure space superiority. Within a decade we should have capacity to deploy sustained on-orbit maneuvering capabilities to defend critical assets (dynamic space operations—maneuver assets and effects to place at a time that provides an advantage over an adversary). Likewise, we should have bold offensive military doctrine as well as the means to train and exercise that doctrine including training and exercises with friends, partners, and allies. Friends, allies, and partners in space must commit to the defense of space infrastructure to partner with one another. Enjoying the freedom to operate in space cannot be a free lunch. Going on Offense We cannot eliminate barriers to exploring and expanding in space if we hamstring our efforts with self-imposed political constraints. Reducing obstacles not only requires removing regulatory obstacles but embracing meritorious management practices that leverage and reward the strength of markets and innovation.&nbsp; In addition, educational policies that hinder knowledge transfer are the number one obstacle to the inability to produce an adequate future science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing workforce (STEM) for a spacefaring people. Fixing our education system is a prerequisite for long-term competition in space. Education is much more important than indoctrination. The priorities of industrial space policies should be to (1) limit strategic vulnerabilities to adversarial powers, (2) removing competitive obstacles, (3) harnessing free market solutions private sector and private-public partnerships that take advantage of the free enterprise and innovation system, (4) setting objectives for on-orbit services, exploration, space tourism, and space manufacturing for the next 50 years, and (5) deliver the authorities, capacity, and capability to ensure the “right of free peoples to engage in commercial exploration for and commercial recovery of space resources free from harmful interference.” Go on the diplomatic offense. We should reject additional outer space treaties. The Artemis Accords were crafted as a functional alternative to guide future action. We know adversarial powers will never agree to responsible treaties that are beneficial to the actions of all. Rather we should: (1) lead by example, in space action; (2) safeguard our interests in international multinational forums; (3) highlight destabilizing and deleterious adversarial behavior from military threats to orbital debris. Punish China and other malefactors for violating treaty obligations. We should have a corps of trained spaced diplomats, required by law, to support these objectives. Civil Space Strategy. While security and civil space go hand-in-hand and programs must be complementary, civil space require a distinct strategy to balance three equally important goals—exploration, science, and commerce. Programs should be integrated and phased as they, done right, enhance one another: phase one-exploration; phase two-science and presence, phase three-commerce and expansion. Within 10 years, the free world should be the preeminent and dominant power in cislunar space. In addition, we should strive to have permanent human presence on the Moon and Mars.

A Conservative Vision for Space: Leading the Future of Human Flourishing

a large group of people walking on a street

5/2/2026 On this occasion, Friends to Liberty joins concerned groups and citizens from all over the world who have pledged to come together to address a common problem—the destructive impact and consequences of mass migration. This is the World We Face. Mass Migration. We are confronting a migration crisis of unprecedented magnitude, with the unlawful movement of persons by the millions affecting nations around the world. Human Rights. Chief among the victims of mass migration are migrants themselves. The migration crisis is a human-trafficking crisis abetted and executed by cartels, syndicates, and governments. The assertion of a nonexistent “right to migrate” exacerbates the toll of tragedy. Meanwhile, legitimate claims to refuge and asylum, and the systems that facilitate them, are eclipsed and weakened. Debilitating Impact on Society. Mass migration distorts labor markets, wages, employment, charities, and social-safety nets, at the expense of citizens. Weaponization of Mass Migration. Adversarial regimes have adopted mass migration as a weapon to destabilize other countries, in part as a vector for terrorist activity and organized crime. National Sovereignty. Mass migration is an existential threat to nationhood. It threatens cultural identity, erodes social cohesion, disrupts community, and dilutes national identity. No nation can persist in being without control of its borders and the fundamental political prerogative of deciding who is allowed to enter and remain, and on what terms. Global Health. Mass migration is powerful vector for communicable diseases. This is the Response We Need. Protect national sovereignty and reject efforts that undermine a nation’s right to protect its borders. Reject any effort to establish a right to migrate. Expose and oppose non-governmental and international and multi-national organizations that promote and facilitate mass migration. Demand cooperation between countries of origin, transit, and destination. Combat, individually and collectively, transnational criminal activity, illicit networks, and adversarial states engaged in exploiting mass migration. Reject efforts to distort refugee and asylum policies to enable mass migration, including rejecting the false notion of climate refugees. Call for measures and actions that will confront the abuse of migration guarantees by illegitimate groups or malicious governments that weaponize provoked migration against their opponents. Support efforts to combat human trafficking and enslavement. Proponents of mass migration as a right overlook or dismiss the immense human hardship and disruption of families and communities caused by unrestricted, irregular, and forced migration.Promote credible research on migration issues. Rather than partisan diatribes, policy should be led by informed, credible research which fully documents the costs, consequences, and impacts of unrestricted, irregular, and forced migration.

Statement of Principles & Priorities on Global Mass Migration

Chess made from USA, EU and China flags on a world map. China, Europe Union and United States of America trade competition

Washington, DC and Prague, Czech Republic&nbsp;We are the Havel Dialogue. Inspired by an idea—the vital importance of a civilization’s moral foundation in Vaclav Havel’s 1994 address, the Havel dialogue is an informal group of conservatives from across the transatlantic community bound by a common interest in advancing human flourishing through free, prosperous, secure, and sovereign nations.Since 2018, the group has periodically held live/virtual meetings to discuss the crucial political, cultural, and security issues of the day in the transatlantic community. Over the years, a number of recurring themes have emerged. Based on that experience, here we list a set of common challenges and responses that the dialogue has identified with the intent that this helps guide participants in their own efforts, encourages collaboration, furthers networking, and new actions and initiatives. One of the key concerns we feel must be addressed is the malicious influence of China in the transatlantic community.Chinese influence in Europe has risen over the course of the twenty-first century. China’s trade with Europe has risen from about $92 billion in 2020 to over $676 billion in 2024. As a result, China is now a major trading partner for many European countries and under investigation by the European Union for unfair trade practices including dumping.Though the U.S. remains Europe’s largest trading partner and investor, Chinese investments have cropped up across the continent. From port investments to telecommunications to electric car manufacturing, Chinese investment has surged over the past several decades through both bilateral (such as providing servers for Spanish wiretap recordings) and multilateral arrangements (such as the 16+1).While China’s infrastructure investment packages can appear fiscally attractive for development, they come at a high cost. Many such projects provide China with concerning sway or disconcerting access. Take Hutchison Port Holdings’ investment in a container terminal at Poland’s Gdynia port. Ostensibly harmless, it just so happens to share the port with a shipyard constructing Polish frigates, and Hutchison exerted their influence in 2024 to block the unloading of U.S. Army equipment at Gdynia due to a protrusion of only a few feet into their zone.<figure id="figure-crjw1wl5sjmg0f5cow"><img id="crjw1wl5sjmg0f5cow" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2eXBNso80OLGsEzX1QXHQVDJBxYsfNHiRSZDzArvwjuwsWRdKcRrndxrRKbGRoDS.jpeg" alt="Ominous moment for China: national flag being erased from a scratched grungey concrete wall, with copy space" title="Ominous moment for China: national flag being erased from a scratched grungey concrete wall, with copy space" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/2eXBNso80OLGsEzX1QXHQVDJBxYsfNHiRSZDzArvwjuwsWRdKcRrndxrRKbGRoDS.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure>Diplomatically, China has pressured regional states to avoid raising human rights concerns while backing Russia. Beijing’s coercive measures have escalated as high as sanctioning members of the European Parliament for calling out China’s human rights abuses of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Though the sanctions were recently lifted, China’s ongoing no-limits partnership with Russia confirms their diplomatic hostility as Moscow wages a brutal war in Ukraine.At the Havel Dialogue, we uphold the sovereignty of states and the right of all countries in our hemisphere to make their own decisions regarding economic and diplomatic policy. We further recognize that China is exploiting actual needs of countries in the community that are not being filled by other partners. There is no problem with normal economic engagement with China or any other country, but we must not allow Beijing’s growing presence to foster instability, threaten security, or erode our cherished democratic norms.To this end, we call upon the community to work together, as well as with extra-regional partners, to develop alternatives to trade and investment dependencies on China. At the same time, we call upon all countries to uphold our fundamental four NOs in their dealings with China:#1. No strategic dependences. Like most countries in the world today, those in the Western Hemisphere depend on China for many critical goods, from rare earth minerals to pharmaceuticals to manufactured products. They also depend on China’s insatiable market of 1.4 billion people to purchase many of their exports, particularly in agriculture and energy. We call for hemispheric cooperation in overcoming these dependencies through tasks such as exploiting more of the abundant rare earth minerals scattered throughout the hemisphere and developing the region’s manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, no country in the hemisphere should allow itself to become dependent on China for renewable energy sources of which Beijing has a near monopoly.#2. No military cooperation. Nothing would destabilize the Western Hemisphere more than a Chinese military presence. Such a development would risk moving the center of gravity in U.S.-China strategic competition from East Asia to the Americas, increasing the risk of a great power conflict in our neighborhood for the first time since the colonial era. This is a real threat. Beijing seeks to push the U.S. military out of Asia and, to this end, may attempt to create security challenges Washington must address in its own periphery. It does not need military bases in the region to do this. To preserve regional peace and stability, Western Hemisphere countries should refrain from cooperating with China’s military and end agreements that permit the Chinese military to run satellite stations in regional countries’ territories.#3. No ignoring spying, intellectual property theft, transnational criminal activity, and destabilizing actions or influence operations. China actively infringes on the sovereignty of countries throughout the world through its espionage activities and by engaging in unsanctioned police operations outside of their jurisdiction that target individuals in other countries. No country can overcome these activities on its own. Cooperation among like-minded countries is essential.#4. No ignoring human right abuses. China is among the world’s most prolific human rights abusers. It seeks to use its position in the United Nations to erode global human rights norms, which it perceives as a threat to its legitimacy. Western Hemisphere countries must work together to keep the pressure on China over its human rights record and resist pressure and enticements to water down human rights norms in the UN and other international bodies. Doing so may curry favor with Beijing, but any benefit that brings is negated by the negative impacts on the global norms that help undergird the political and social stability of many countries on this hemisphere.SignedKaush Arha, Indo-Pacific Forum Megi Benia, Former Georgian Diplomat Adam Bolek, President of the Canada Strong and Free Network Joseph Bosco Dr. James Jay Carafano Ambassador Kelley Currie Karla Jones Vice President, ALEC Center for International Freedom Dr. Juliana Geran Pilon, Senior Fellow, The Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization Nikola Kedhi, the Albanian Conservative Institute Nicola Iuvinale, Senior China Fellow, Extreme Radio&nbsp; Gabriele Iuvinale, Senior China Fellow, Extreme Radio&nbsp; Carlos Augusto Chacón Monsalve, Executive Director, Instituto de Ciencia Política Hernán Echavarría Olózaga David Oldroyd-Bolt Anglosphere Fellow, The Danube InstituteAmbassador Carla Sands&nbsp; Joseph Schneider Vas Shenoy, Founder, Indo-Mediterranean Initiative Matt Tyrmand&nbsp; Joe Varner, &nbsp;Senior Fellow of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute

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Standing-up In Defense of Family and Marriage

A Historic Gathering: Faith and Identity Unite in Zagreb

Meeting the Challenge of Jew Hate in Europe and America

A Conservative Vision for Space: Leading the Future of Hu...

Statement of Principles & Priorities on Global Mass Migra...

Statement on Defending the Transatlantic Community from C...