For decades, D.C. insiders and Wall Street elites perpetuated the lie that American engagement with Communist China would cause that nation to open, to liberalize, and to reform. Even as evidence accumulated to the contrary, some benefitting from this deception continued to profit off of China at the expense of America’s stature and America’s workers. The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) advances policies that study how decades of America’s accommodation of Communist China has nurtured an existential rival to our Nation and our livelihood as we know it.
Team
Latest
Op-Ed
|
May 12, 2026
NC’s land is worth protecting. Let’s do it right.
North Carolina is one of the most strategically important states in America, home to a vibrant agricultural sector and unique military infrastructure. That also makes it one of the most important targets for foreign adversary activity.
Expert Insights
|
May 12, 2026
Trump–Xi Summit: Handshakes Will Not Erase the China Challenge
In May 2026, the leaders of the world’s two largest economies, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, will meet at a moment of heightened tensions in trade, security, technology, and human rights. Although both sides have a short-term incentive not to exacerbate friction—Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other Administration officials characterize the relationship in advance of the summit as “stable,” while tempering expectations of any breakthrough—the meeting takes place against a backdrop of accumulated grievances that no single summit can resolve and no American president can ignore: structural economic manipulation that has hollowed out American industry, a military buildup meant to challenge U.S. power in the Pacific and beyond, systematic repression of minorities and dissidents that Beijing exports to American soil, and the ongoing detention of American citizens.
Speech
|
April 4, 2026
The Chinese Communist Party’s Transnational Repression Against American Citizens on U.S. Soil
Thank you for inviting me to share this special day with you, when we honor the legacy of Gao Zhisheng—and a special “thank you” to his wife, Geng He, for her gracious invitation. Today we celebrate Gao’s commitment to human rights and rule of law. As a Christian, Gao Zhisheng articulated the premise that human dignity is grounded in the notion that every individual is created in the Image and Likeness of God.
Op-Ed
|
March 20, 2026
Secure the Network, Secure the Homeland
As global competition intensifies, America’s adversaries are increasingly targeting the infrastructure that connects us all together. Telecommunications networks and data centers are no longer just economic assets; they are national security targets.
Congressional Testimony
|
March 17, 2026
TESTIMONY: OHIO PROPERTY PROTECTION ACT
The significance of the H.B. 1 bill assignment is not lost on me. This is a designation that speaks for itself, and one this body has reserved for what it considers the most consequential legislation of the year. We at America First Policy Institute agree that protecting Ohio, and America, from foreign adversaries must be a central concern for all governments federal, state, and local.
Topics
- Rural Prosperity
- Farmers First
- American Land Protection
- Criminal Justice & Public Safety
- The Courts
- Trade
- Post Secondary Education
- Energy
- Environment
- Big Tech & Censorship
- Public Health
- Border & Immigration
- Asia
- Europe
- Defense
- Israel & the Middle East
- China Policy Initiative
- Marriage, Family, & Children
49
issues
Videos
Selected...
Brooke Rollins and Lee Zeldin on China’s Threat to US National Security
Selected...
Combating Fentanyl - The America First Action Plan
Selected...
The America First Agenda Podcast Episode Four: The China Threat with Jack Posobiec
Selected...
Chad Wolf joined Fox and Friends to discuss threats from China and border security
Selected...
Steve Yates joined Fox Business to discuss the latest on Russia and Ukraine, China and Taiwan
Selected...