In light of recent military and law enforcement events occurring in Venezuela, Middlesex County Republican Committee recently invited retired Commander John Hooper to their January meeting to share his analysis of the threat China poses to United States Security by their presence and activity in Venezuela. Hooper currently works for the Department of Defense as a senior military analyst/planner. His portfolios include China and Russia. He has three graduate degrees in military studies/national security affairs and teaches strategy and warfare, joint maritime operations, and maritime homeland security/defense part-time for the U.S. Naval War College, College of Distance Education.
He spoke on China and the Chinese Communist Party’s military and economic threats to the world and the U.S. homeland since the elevation of Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015. China’s presence and influence in Central and South America have been growing for 30 years with particular speed. Hooper’s presentation focused on China’s connections and influence in Venezuela in the areas of oil exports, rare earth minerals, banking, agriculture, drug trafficking, arms sales, intelligence collection and VZ proximity and access to key maritime strategic locations (for example, Caribbean Sea, and Panama Canal) and the threat this poses to the U.S. Security.
Hooper is available to give presentations to community groups so they can better understand an extraordinarily complicated relationship in international affairs, and an emerging threat, as they relate to both economic and national security challenges across the globe.
For information, call 276-591-7950.
