How the CCP and Its Proxies Created a ‘World on Fire’: Col. John Mills

American Thought Leaders · Jul 30, 2025 · 1h 14m

“China is surpassing American strength, whether it be naval forces or nuclear forces,” says retired U.S. Army Col. John Mills.

His four-decade career has spanned key roles from the Cold War era to the War on Terror. At the Department of Defense, he directed cybersecurity policy.

“I was brought into cyber in 2007 when the threat really was Russian cyber adventurism, but by 2012, from that point onward, it was all China—wasn’t even close,” he says. “For every dollar Russia spent on misadventure, China spent 20.”

In this episode, we dive into the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) influence…