U.S. Senator Talks About Seven Things the CCP Won’t Allow to Be Said

Rubio (left) and Wang Yi (right). (Composite image by People News)

People News - On February 26, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) warned that Americans’ awareness of the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is far lower than the reality.

On Wednesday, Cotton promoted his new book, Seven Things You Can’t Say About China, at the Hudson Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C. He identified seven topics that cannot be discussed: calling the CCP an “evil empire,” acknowledging that it is preparing for war, recognizing its economic warfare, and pointing out its infiltration of American society and government, as well as its intent to harm American children.

According to Radio Free Asia, during the book launch event, Cotton stated: “Most public opinion polls show that Americans have a very low opinion of China under Communist rule, and for good reason. But based on my understanding and my more than ten years of experience serving on the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, no matter how bad you think the Chinese Communist Party is or how great its threat to our country is, the reality is even worse. So, the purpose of this book is to sound the alarm on the threats we face.”

He also cited former U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s 1983 speech about the Soviet Union, referring to China (the CCP) as an “evil empire.” Cotton particularly emphasized that due to the deep economic ties between China and the U.S., the CCP’s threat amounts to “infiltration” of all aspects of American society.

Cotton: The Chinese Communist Party Uses Economic Coercion to Gain Political Discourse Power

Cotton specifically highlighted that American political and business leaders often find themselves in this predicament due to their focus on the benefits of the Chinese market.

He cited the example of the American basketball league and Hollywood being enticed by the Chinese market to demonstrate the significant level of self-censorship occurring across various sectors in the United States. He remarked, "About five or six years ago, the general manager of the Houston Rockets was removed from all merchandise and the broadcasting service of the American basketball league was shut down by the CCP simply for posting a picture that expressed solidarity with the Hong Kong people fighting for freedom."

Cotton also raised concerns about Hollywood, noting that since Brad Pitt starred in the film 'Seven Years in Tibet' in 1997, which depicted the atrocities committed by CCP soldiers against Tibetans, major film studios have refrained from producing works that portray the CCP as the antagonist or address human rights issues in Xinjiang, Tibet, or Hong Kong.

Additionally, Cotton mentioned that the CCP had previously announced plans to invest in constructing a large paper mill in Arkansas, but this has not yet come to fruition. He recounted that a sitting governor had encouraged him to meet with officials from the CCP consulate, but he opted to avoid this, as he did not want it to influence his perspective on the CCP.

In November 2015, Shandong Sun Paper Industry Group signed a cooperation agreement for a fluff pulp investment project with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. According to local Arkansas television station KATV, Sun Paper Industry Group had agreed to invest $1.8 billion in the project. However, a press release from Sun Paper Industry Group indicated that the investment amount was actually $1.36 billion.

Local media reports from Arkansas indicate that the Shandong Sun Paper Industry Group's plan to invest in building a paper mill in Clark County was ultimately canceled in March 2020.

In addition to this, a prominent topic in the news is Elon Musk, who was appointed by President Trump to lead the Office of Efficiency. Senator Cotton emphasized his confidence that Musk will not be the only influence on the Trump administration's policy towards China.

"He (Musk) is an advisor, while Trump is the decision-maker. I am very confident that there will be many voices reflecting my views on China (the CCP), including Secretary of State Rubio and presidential advisor Navarro, who can incorporate my opinions."

However, Cotton expressed his hope that companies like Tesla will return to the United States or reduce their ties with China as much as possible, particularly to lessen their reliance on Chinese supply chains.

Cotton views the CCP as an adversary and aims to limit its influence in the U.S.

According to a press release from Cotton's office, he has proposed several bills to restrict the CCP's influence in the United States. He made two attempts in 2023 and 2025 to prevent Chinese citizens and individuals or entities representing the CCP or the Communist Party from purchasing real estate in the U.S. The bills he and other lawmakers proposed again between 2024 and 2025 also include revoking China's (the CCP's) Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status and imposing sanctions on CCP police departments and personnel operating in the U.S.

In the realm of digital technology, Senator Tom Cotton proposed a bill in 2024 aimed at restricting the use of the one-on-one tutoring service Tutor.com by students of the U.S. Department of Defense, citing its ties to 'Springhua Capital Group' and the Chinese Communist Party. A strong advocate for the 'non-sale, immediate ban' legislation against TikTok, Cotton also reached out in February 2025 to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, urging a prohibition on the use of the AI tool DeepSeek, which is developed by the Chinese Communist Party, by U.S. government agencies, departments, and employees. In April 2024, he wrote to then-President Biden, requesting an investigation into whether the Chinese online shopping platform Temu was in violation of U.S. laws. Furthermore, in 2020, Cotton introduced a bill to honor Dr. Li Wenliang, who was instrumental in exposing the COVID-19 outbreak in China.

These proposed bills have not yet been passed by both chambers or enacted into law.

At 47 years old, Cotton is the youngest member of the Senate Republican leadership, serving as the chair of the Senate Republican Conference, where he is responsible for conveying the party's priorities to the American public. His leadership role ranks just below Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Whip John Barrasso.

As reported by the Washington Examiner, Cotton opted not to engage in the presidential campaign or join the Trump administration. Instead, he decided to advance his career within the Senate while fostering a close working relationship with Trump and his associates. On February 27, he announced the initiation of his re-election campaign for 2026.