Mattis Pulls No Punches on China During Graduation Speech

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis pulled no punches against China during a college graduation speech he delivered Friday morning.

When describing threats the young Naval War College graduates would face, Mattis mentioned China’s “long-term designs” to rewrite the existing global order.

“The Ming Dynasty appears to be their model,” he began, “demanding other nations become tribute states, kowtowing to Beijing.”

The Ming Dynasty, which lasted from 1368 to 1644 AD, was a period of ambitious naval expansion that ended in overextension and ruin.

According to History.com, China launched “ambitious flotillas to expand the Chinese tribute system to other countries, sending ships to India, the Persian Gulf and the east coast of Africa.”

It started off well enough, with China exporting silk and welcoming a European presence in China. However, it also brought on “enormous fiscal problems that resulted in calamitous collapse.”

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