A livestream of the discussion will begin Wednesday, October 11, at 11:00am (ET).
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Most Americans now recognize the serious threat the People’s Republic of China (PRC) poses to the United States. But many may not be aware of the comprehensive campaign Beijing is implementing in Latin America to advance the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) interests, undermine the United States, and put our homeland at risk.

What is China doing in our hemisphere? Why does it matter? How is the United States responding? And what more can be done?

FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP) hosts a conversation with Commander of U.S. Southern Command General Laura J. Richardson. As the Commander of SOUTHCOM, she is responsible for U.S. contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The conversation will be moderated by CMPP Senior Director Bradley Bowman.

General Laura J. Richardson

GEN Laura J. Richardson is the Commander of U.S. Southern Command, and the first woman to serve in that position. SOUTHCOM is one of the Pentagon’s six geographic commands and is responsible for U.S. contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. GEN Richardson is a leader, soldier, aviator, and combat veteran. She has commanded an assault helicopter battalion in Iraq, served as military aide to the Vice President, and led the Army component of U.S. Northern Command. Over her career, General Richardson has commanded from the Company to Theater Army level. General Richardson’s awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), among many others. She also has various unit, service and campaign awards, and numerous badges, including the Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Senior Army Aviator Badge, Vice-Presidential Service Badge and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

Bradley Bowman

Bradley Bowman serves as senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where he focuses on U.S. defense strategy and policy. He has served as a national security advisor to members of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, as well as an active duty U.S. Army officer, Black Hawk pilot, and assistant professor at West Point. Bradley spent nearly nine years in the U.S. Senate, including six years as the top defense advisor to Senator Kelly Ayotte, then-senior Republican on the Armed Services Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee. Bradley also served as national security advisor to Senator Todd Young and worked as a Council on Foreign Relations international affairs fellow on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He earned an M.A. in international relations from Yale University and a B.S. in American politics from the United States Military Academy at West Point.