Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after the opening ceremony of the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Congress:

“As made evident by his opening remarks, General Secretary Xi Jinping is gearing up like never before to challenge the United States and our freedom-loving partners around the world. Xi’s goal is total dominance – whether it be through his stifling zero-COVID policy, his grip on the technology industry, the targeting of Muslim Uyghurs, escalating threats against Taiwan, or an authoritarian grip on global governance. As Xi prepares to be reinstated for a third term, the United States must stand firm against this rogue dictator and bolster our national defense to ensure he does not succeed.”