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Two events separated by a mere six months in 1949 the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China by the Chinese Communist Party shaped the world as we know it today.

During the Cold War, NATO was a key stabilizing force in Europe and a bulwark against communism. And, as weve seen recently, the threat of land wars in Europe did not end with the fall of the Soviet Union. NATO remains a vital source of stability and security on the European continent.

The same cannot be said of the CCP, which is playing a zero-sum game that requires America and its allies to fade away. In recent decades, the CCP has taken steps to make that happen, methodically undermining our economic strength by stealing critical technology, manufacturing capacity, and jobs from America and our allies.

In Beijing, we face an adversary with not only a formidable military and growing nuclear arsenal but also control of critical supply chains and an influence over global markets the old Soviet Union never enjoyed. Great power competition between the U.S. and China is the single most consequential contest of the 21st century. If we lose, it will usher in a dark age of exploitation, conquest, and totalitarianism and Americans way of life will be much worse than it is today.

Those are the stakes, and they must form the lens through which we view every policy decision we make, both domestic and foreign including whether to allow Finland and Sweden to join NATO.

Fortunately, Finland and Sweden are strong, stable countries with a long history of security cooperation with NATO allies. They are committed to national defense and would more than live up to their NATO obligations. Finland already spends more than the required 2% of gross domestic product on its military, and Sweden is on a fast track to do the same. Both nations require military service of their citizens.

Simply put, NATO would be stronger with Finland and Sweden. And while President Joe Bidens record is proof that weakness invites aggression and breeds chaos, the converse is also true. As Ronald Reagan would say, peace comes through strength.

Some in Washington believe the only way to show strength in the face of Putins aggression is to double down on Americas security commitments in Europe. More troops. More equipment. More time. In fact, that seems to be Bidens approach as he continues to deploy military personnel to the region.

That is a mistake. Not only does it keep much-needed resources from the Indo-Pacific, it also ignores the military capability and economic resources of our European allies, both of which increase significantly if Finland and Sweden join NATO.

Americas resources are not endless, and our leaders need to be realistic and prioritize the greatest global threat facing our nation. Beijings days of quietly amassing economic power and biding its time are over. Under General Secretary Xi Jinping, the CCP is increasingly assertive and militarily aggressive, bullying U.S. allies and openly provoking its neighbors.

Thats why we need more troops, more ships and aircraft, and more funding for our presence in the Indo-Pacific. Thats why we need to encourage and enhance our relationships with our allies and partners in Beijings crosshairs, including those in the Western Hemisphere, such as Brazil and Panama. The CCP has been preparing to overturn American dominance for decades. We must give China our full attention if were going to defeat Xis bid for dominance.

Its been 73 years since NATO and Communist China came into existence. During that time, one has been a source of security and stability, bringing relative peace and prosperity to the world. The other has become Americas greatest foreign adversary.

A strong and unified NATO is a powerful asset in the contest with Beijing. When Finland and Sweden join the alliances ranks and the free peoples of Europe become stronger than ever, more U.S. resources will be available to focus on countering Communist China. If we do not rise to the challenge, it will be too late, and Americans will be held hostage by a totalitarian regime half a world away.

Marco Rubio is a U.S. senator for Florida and the vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, as well as a ranking member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

Read more:
A stronger NATO allows America to focus on the threat of Communist China - Washington Examiner