===== Matt Pottinger ===== {{ ::matt_pottinger_getty_pic_2020.png?400|}} ==== Early Life ==== Wikipedia - Matt Pottinger is the son of author and former politician J. [[:Stanley Pottinger]]. He was educated at [[:Milton Academy]] and is a schoolmate and childhood friend of fellow journalist [[:John Avlon]]. Pottinger graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with an undergraduate degree in Chinese studies; he is fluent in Mandarin. He won numerous awards, including multiple [[:Pulitzer Prize]] nominations. He covered a variety of topics, including the [[:SARS]] epidemic and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami; in the latter assignment, he met United States Marines and was inspired by their courageousness. ==== Early Journalism ==== === 2002 Hutchison's Downturn Is Far From Complete === HONG KONG -- Hutchison Whampoa's stock price has plunged 60% from its peak in early 2000 By Matt Pottinger Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal Updated Aug. 1, 2002 ((https://web.archive.org/web/20170806220954/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1028132333960685160)) === 2004 - A Hidden Cost Of China's Growth: Mercury Migration === Turning to Coal, Nation Sends Toxic Metal Around Globe; Buildup in the Great Lakes By Matt Pottinger, Steve Stecklow and John J. Fialka Staff Reporters of The [[:Wall Street Journal]] Updated Dec. 17, 2004 ((https://web.archive.org/web/20170806222503/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB110325317062703084)) ==== 2005 - Patriot Goes to War ==== A young man and his ideals The Hill By Dick Morris - 10/06/05 Matt Pottinger has served as a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal in China for nearly five years. Now, at the age of 32, he is leaving to join the United States Marine Corps. Matt Pottinger has served as a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal in China for nearly five years. Now, at the age of 32, he is leaving to join the United States Marine Corps. His is a story of a patriotism and commitment underscored and emphasized by the lessons he has learned living in one of the most politically repressive societies on the planet. There is so much we can all learn from him about China and about our own country.((https://web.archive.org/web/20170728064312/http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/dick-morris/4703-a-young-man-and-his-ideals)) ==== 2010 - Fixing Intel: A Blueprint for Making Intelligence Relevant in Afghanistan ==== [[:Center for New American Security]] {{ ::cnas_matt_pottinger_afghan_intel.png?400|}} **About the Authors** **Major General Michael T. Flynn** has been the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence (CJ2), for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan since June 2009. his previous assignment was [[:Director of Intelligence]], J-2, for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. He has three decades of experience as an intelligence officer. he can be reached by email at michael.t.flynn@ afghan.swa.army.mil. **Captain Matt Pottinger** is serving in Kabul as an advisor to Major General Flynn. he was the 2009 winner of the lieutenant Colonel Michael D. Kuszewski Award for **Marine Corps Intelligence officer of the Year**. he can be reached by email at matthew.f.pottinger@afghan.swa.army.mil. Paul D. Batchelor, of the [[:Defense Intelligence Agency]]’s [[:Senior Executive Service]], is currently serving at ISAF headquarters as **Senior Advisor for Civilian/Military Integration**. He has served as the DIA’s advisor to the Secretary of Defense and as manager of current and **crisis intelligence support** to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. he can be reached by email at paul.d.batchelor@afghan.swa.army.mil. **Acknowledgements -** The authors would like to thank the staff of the [[:Center for a New American Security]], several anonymous external reviewers and especially liz Fontaine of CNAS for their help with this paper. ((https://web.archive.org/web/20100215063118/http://www.cnas.org/files/documents/publications/AfghanIntel_Flynn_Jan2010_code507_voices.pdf)) ==== 2011 Meet Captain Matt Pottinger, US Marine Corps ==== The Atlantic by Peter Osnos -April 5, 2011 I cannot do justice to the development of Pottinger's ideas in snippets from several interviews, but fortunately, as he closed out his second Afghan tour, he was **co-author with Flynn and Paul D. Batchelor** of the [[:Defense Intelligence Agency]] of an extensive analysis called "Fixing Intel: A Blueprint for Making Intelligence Relevant in Afghanistan." The unclassified report was eventually released by the [[:Center for a New American Security]], a **Washington think tank**. ((https://web.archive.org/web/20110409205745/https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/04/meet-captain-matt-pottinger-united-states-marine-corps/236825/)) ==== Pottinger Evolves from Intelligence to Policy ==== Matthew Pottinger: Architect of the Chinese Cold War? by Michael B. Cerny October 2, 2019 After graduating from the [[:University of Massachusetts]] with a degree in Chinese Studies, Pottinger embarked first on a career in journalism. Fluent in [[:Mandarin]], Pottinger spent seven years in China as a journalist for [[:Reuters]] and the [[:Wall Street Journal]], reporting on topics ranging from Chinese government corruption to stereotypes surrounding people born in China’s [[:Henan Province]]. **Numerous articles note that, during this time, Pottinger was assaulted** by a Chinese security agent during an investigation. It was this incident, along with his experience of living in China and reporting on the Chinese government, that supposedly drove Pottinger to a greater appreciation of American values and democratic freedom, ultimately leading him to a career in the United States Marine Corps. In a 2005 article in the Wall Street Journal, Pottinger explained his decision to leave the newspaper for the Marines. Pottinger wrote that, “living in China also shows you what a nondemocratic country can do to its citizens.” Pottinger detailed his personal experiences with the Chinese authorities, where he had been **“arrested and forced to flush [his] notes down a toilet to keep the police from getting them**” and “punched in the face… by a government goon.” However, Pottinger’s experience with China was not the only factor involved in his career change. He wrote that watching a gruesome **video of an American’s execution by terrorists** in Iraq also contributed to his decision to leave journalism for the military. Another article speculated that the 2002 execution of his colleague, Daniel Pearl, at the hands of Pakistani terrorists may have further played a role. In any case, Pottinger’s career change reflects not only his exceptional view of American freedom, but also the positive and global role he sees for the American military. In his 2005 article for the Wall Street Journal, “Mightier than the Pen,” Pottinger noted the instrumental role of the Marines in disaster response efforts after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Pottinger returned to civilian life, becoming the 2010–2011 Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow at the [[:Council on Foreign Relations]] and later starting work at an (UNNAMED) investment management firm.  Prior to his appointment to Senior Director for Asian Affairs, Matthew Pottinger had never worked in a policymaking position. In a 2017 article in the [[:New York Times]], Pottinger’s predecessor under the Bush administration noted that, “He’s a very effective bureaucratic player, which is saying something because he’s never had a policy job before.” Pottinger’s **meteoric rise from a military intelligence officer to the nation’s Asia-policy hotseat** is notably unprecedented. A closer look at his second tour to Afghanistan reveals that Pottinger’s relationship with Michael Flynn, a retired army lieutenant and Trump confidant convicted of lying to the F.B.I., was his ticket into the inner circle of government Based upon a 2010 report co-authored by [[:Michael Flynn]] and Michael Pottinger, it appears that the two men met in Afghanistan during Pottinger’s deployment to the country in 2009. At that time, Flynn was serving as the Deputy [[:Chief of Staff in Intelligence]] for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and Pottinger served as his close advisor. Flynn and Pottinger quickly discovered from conducting local interviews across Afghanistan that there were severe deficits in American intelligence, a conclusion likely thanks to Pottinger’s wit and expertise in journalism. Their report, which publicized the failure of United States intelligence in this regard, reportedly angered the Pentagon and C.I.A., raising concerns that Flynn and Pottinger might be fired. Pottinger retired from military service in 2010, and **limited information is available about Pottinger’s civilian activities.** In the run-up to the election, he hedged his bets by donating to both Republican and Democratic candidates.  [[:Politico]] Magazine reports that, shortly after the election, Flynn invited Pottinger into the administration. This invitation was something of a surprise, as some in Washington “found it **remarkable that a man who had never worked a day in civilian government** or played a role in U.S. Asia policy would now have such a consequential post.” Despite his relative inexperience, Steve Bannon, a former White House chief strategist, described Pottinger as **“one of the most significant people in the entire US government**.”((https://web.archive.org/web/20221215230836/https://uscnpm.org/2019/10/02/matthew-pottinger-architect-of-the-chinese-cold-war/)) ==== Trump Transition Team ==== May 18, 2017 On the security policy side of Trump’s Asia team, the only sure candidate is Matt Pottinger, who will be the NSC’s senior director for Asia. Notwithstanding his close relationship with Trump’s national security advisor, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the former US Marine is an unusual choice.11 Unlike his predecessors, Pottinger has **never held a government position and has no background on Asia-Pacific security policy**.12 Nor does he have established relationships with many Asia policy officials in the US and abroad. But Pottinger might bring unconventional qualifications to his role. **Originally trained as a Mandarin linguist, he spent seven years as a journalist in China** — an experience that has given him an inside-out perspective on the country’s challenges and opportunities.13 Likewise, after joining the Marines Pottinger gained **valuable operational experience in military intelligence** and demonstrated in a major report on US intelligence failure in Afghanistan — co-authored with Flynn — his ability to design sweeping changes to institutionalised operating procedures.14 These skills could make him an effective change-maker on Asia policy coordination. Navarro has called for tougher US push-back on “China’s militarism” — advocating a 350 ship navy, strong regional alliances, and support for Taiwan on democratic and strategic grounds. While little is known about Pottinger’s worldview, his writing suggests that he will adopt a sceptical and values-based stance towards Beijing. **In 2005, Pottinger explained that living in China had taught him “what a non-democratic country can do to its citizens”, recalling the surveillance and state violence** that he and others endured. This led him to appreciate “the institutions that distinguish the US” — such as “the separation of powers, a free press, and the right to vote” — and played into his decision to join the Marines.15 Pottinger was scathing of China in a 2007 letter in which he criticised the government’s “little respect for the truth” and imposed “self-censorship” of the media.16 These sentiments will chime with the hawkish line on China held by Navarro and others in Trump’s Asia team.((https://web.archive.org/web/20170517035643/https://www.ussc.edu.au/analysis/work-in-progress-donald-trumps-asia-team)) ==== Trump Policy Team ==== NSA Deputy Pottinger is part of U.S.' new generation of China experts Septenber 26, 2019 byLi Zheng On the flip side, Pottinger's main responsibility is to help Trump deal with an increasingly complex China-U.S. relationship, and his understanding of Chinese politics and culture can help accomplish this difficult task. Unlike self-appointed Chinese experts such as [[:Steve Bannon]], Pottinger can be called a true expert. Pottinger has an education background in Chinese studies and is skilled in listening and speaking Mandarin. He has on-the-ground experience with China's economic and political system since he worked in China for eight years.  He is able to read signals from Chinese media and the government. This ability can play a role in China-U.S. trade negotiations, allowing the Trump administration to seize opportunities and engage constructively with China. American experts generally believe that although Pottinger is tough on China, he is also rational, low-key, and cautious.  Pottinger's caution can help mitigate the Trump administration's recklessness in its China policy. As a journalist and **former intelligence analyst**, Pottinger is more inclined to conduct detailed investigations rather than rushing to conclusions. This way of working helps the White House to get more comprehensive information and may avoid serious confrontations and strategic misjudgments. Dealing with Pottinger will be a rare chance for China to communicate with a new generation of U.S. China experts. These experts do not have positive expectations about China and China-U.S. relations. And they acknowledge that the two countries will move toward different paths in the long run. ((https://web.archive.org/web/20220808072243/https://news.cgtn.com/news/2019-09-26/NSA-Deputy-Pottinger-is-part-of-U-S-new-generation-of-China-experts--KinZqiJPSE/index.html)) ==== Policy Partner Former CIA Director - Mike Pompeo ==== Chinese FM Spokesperson: Pompeo's Remarks on the CPC-led United Front Are Filled with Distortion of Facts and Nothing but Malicious Slander against China 2020/10/30 At a regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China on October 29, Spokesperson Wang Wenbin answered a question about U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s false accusation of the CPC-led United Front. Journalist: U.S. Secretary of State [[:Mike Pompeo]] and Deputy National Security Advisor [[:Matt Pottinger]] recently accused China of using "United Front work" to infiltrate other countries. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: Pompeo and Pottinger's remarks, filled with distortion of facts, are malicious slander against China. The CPC-led United Front endeavors to bring together various political parties and people from all walks of life, ethnic groups and organizations. Simply put, it aims to promote cooperation between the CPC and people who are not members of it. When it comes to exchanges with foreign countries, the CPC and the Chinese government always believe that different civilizations should respect and learn from each other with an open mind and countries should strive for harmonious coexistence, win-win cooperation and peaceful development. By uniting overseas Chinese nationals including students, the Chinese side helps give full play to their role as a bridge linking China with the rest of the world to promote people-to-people exchange and nurture friendship. Its work is transparent, above-board and beyond reproach. By making an issue out of China's United Front work, Pompeo and Pottinger are trying to discredit China's political system and disrupt normal exchange and cooperation between China and the United States. The world has already seen through their calculations. They will get nowhere standing on the wrong side of history.((https://web.archive.org/web/20221215221529/http://sydney.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/zlgdt/202208/t20220825_10752826.htm)) ==== Pandemic PR Campaign ==== Ex-Trump official Matt Pottinger faults China for virus cover-up by Melissa Quinn - February 21, 2021 American journalist, Marine Corps officer and former Deputy National Security Advisor Washington — Former deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, who served under former President Donald Trump, claimed **China attempted to cover up the coronavirus** in the early days of the crisis, cutting out its [[:Center for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) and instead relying on its **military to contain the deadly virus**. In an interview with [[:Face the Nation]] that aired Sunday, Pottinger said the head of the Chinese CDC was unaware the coronavirus was spreading throughout the nation until late December 2019. "It looks like the [[:Chinese CDC]] to some extent was cut out because the Chinese Communist Party turned to its military to try to cover this thing up, to try to contain it until it was too late," Pottinger said. "And the consequences we're all feeling now." Transcript: Matthew Pottinger on "Face the Nation" The first cases of the coronavirus were discovered in Wuhan, China, though the virus' exact origins remain unclear. Still, Mr. Trump and other top officials in his administration criticized Beijing for its handling of the pandemic, which has led to more than **2.4 million deaths** worldwide. In the United States, the death toll from [[:COVID-19]] is approaching 500,000. Reflecting on the early days of the pandemic, Pottinger said there "undoubtedly" were Chinese officials who wanted to share information about the coronavirus but couldn't do so. "I think that no doubt, there were people who wanted to share much more aggressively but were being **muzzled by the Chinese Communist Party,**" he said. There were many officials across all levels of government, he said, "who were all being told shut your mouths. Don't send notes on your [[:WeChat]] account about it. Don't send social media. Don't tell anyone. You've got to keep this thing secret." The [[:World Health Organization]] (WHO) has launched an investigation to determine the origins of the coronavirus. But national security adviser [[:Jake Sullivan]] said last week that the White House has "questions about the process used to reach" the probe's early findings and stressed it's "imperative" for the report to be independent, "with expert findings free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government." Sullivan called for the Chinese government to make available its data from the first days of the coronavirus outbreak. "The [[:World Health Organization]] made all sorts of **untruthful or misinformed claims about this virus — that it doesn't spread human to human, that it's not asymptomatic**. They praised the Chinese government for shutting down domestic travel in China while simultaneously criticizing the United States for shutting down international travel, which is a morally and logically indefensible position," Pottinger said.((https://web.archive.org/web/20221215204815/https://news.yahoo.com/ex-trump-official-matt-pottinger-161204463.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall)) ==== China Cover-up Narriative ==== Former Trump Official Says Chinese Scientists 'Systemically Silenced' By Gov't—Here's What He's Talking About BREAKING News FORBES - May 30, 2021 by Jonathan Ponciano - **Forbes Staff Investing** In a Sunday morning appearance on [[:NBC News]]' [[:Meet the Press]], former Deputy National Security Advisor Matthew Pottinger said Chinese scientists have been "systemically silenced by their government" from discussing the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, referencing a slew of whistleblowers who reportedly faced retaliation from Chinese officials for speaking out about the virus last year and at times contradicting the information officials disclosed to the public. "If [the virus] came out of a lab, there are people in China who probably know that," Pottinger, who served under former President [[:Donald Trump]], said Sunday, adding that President [[:Joe Biden]]'s call for a **90-day U.S. intelligence investigation might "embolden" scientists to speak up** despite the Chinese government's retaliatory measures targeting whistleblowers. Though Pottinger didn't specifically reference anyone, the Chinese government was quick to displicine people speaking out about the virus' origins, with state media broadcasting on Jan. 1, 2020 (while there were less than 40 known Covid cases) that Wuhan officials had investigated and punished eight people for "spreading rumors" about the virus on the Internet. One of those people was Dr. [[:Li Wenliang]], a doctor at [[:Wuhan Central Hospital]] who warned colleagues and friends about a potential outbreak on WeChat after treating seven patients—all of whom had gone to a local seafood market—with SARS-like symptoms in late December 2019.  The same day as Li's warning, Wuhan's local health commission told medical institutions about the unknown illness spreading but warned them not to share unauthorized information publicly, **according to [[:CNN]],** and days later, Li was charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly spreading false information and disturbing the public order; he died of the virus in February 2020. Dr. [[:Ai Fen]], another [[:whistleblower]] who worked in the emergency department of the same Wuhan hospital, warned colleagues with a **photo of lab results on Dec. 30, 2019, that a coronavirus had infected a patient**, and was later reprimanded by the hospital's Communist Party Secretary for spreading rumors and "harming stability." Chinese authorities reportedly said in late January (after Li's death) that the eight people arrested shouldn't have been censured, but reports have since surfaced that Beijing is still censoring social media discussions about the pandemic's origins and arresting journalists whose coverage disputes the government's official narrative. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a Forbes request for comment. Crucial Quote  "I think there's a lot that can be learned in 90 days. It's conceivable that we'll have an answer," Pottinger said Sunday of the intelligence investigation. "And even if we come up short with a definitive answer, what we're going to have is a foundation for additional revelations to come out from scientists around the world who previously were frightened… are now going to be emboldened because they know that this is a priority of the United States." Key Background Tensions over the origins of Covid-19 have reached a boiling point over the past week after a Wall Street Journal report last Sunday detailed that three researchers working at a Wuhan virology lab went to the hospital with Covid-like symptoms weeks before the first case was confirmed, **lending credibility to the unconfirmed theory that the virus may have leaked from a lab**. Conservative lawmakers quickly latched onto the theory as a way to cast blame on China for the pandemic, especially as it intensified in the U.S., but Democrats and scientists largely dismissed it. [[:Yuan Zhiming]], the director of the [[:Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory]], told Chinese state media the report was “a complete lie" last week. U.S. lawmakers are now calling for additional investigations into the matter. **Biden says intelligence officials believe** the virus either developed naturally and spread from animal to human, or leaked from a lab. === Chief Critic === "Some in the US, turning a blind eye to facts, science, the questionable study of origins and botched response at home, keep clamoring for additional investigation in China," Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said Thursday when asked whether the country would consider cooperating with investigations supported by scientists around the world. He countered by saying the U.S. should allow international investigations into [[:Fort Detrick]], a military lab studying dangerous microbes that **shut down for months in 2019** after the CDC declared it did not have "sufficient systems in place to decontaminate wastewater. "What secrets are hidden in the suspicion-shrouded Fort Detrick and the over 200 US bio-labs all over the world?"((https://web.archive.org/web/20210530185707/https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2021/05/30/former-trump-official-says-chinese-scientists-systemically-silenced-by-govt-heres-what-hes-talking-about/)) (()) ==== China's Hacking - Propaganda & Surveillance Threat to American Data Privacy ==== {{ ::matt_pottinger_china_hacking_propaganda_threat.png?600|}} NY Post by Emily Crane - August 9, 2021 image Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images Senate panel warned China has enough data for dossiers on all Americans Matthew Pottinger told a Senate panel that China's penetration of digital networks worldwide has taken data theft "to a new level." China has stolen enough data from the US to compile **a “dossier” on every single American adult** — material used to “influence and intimidate, reward and blackmail, flatter and humiliate, divide and conquer” — a Senate panel has been warned. Matthew Pottinger, a deputy national security adviser for the Trump administration, sounded the alarm about Beijing’s perusal of data during the [[:Senate Intelligence Committee]] hearing. “Assembling dossiers on people has always been a feature of Leninist regimes but Beijing’s penetration of digital networks worldwide has taken this to a new level,” Pottinger told the panel Wednesday. “The party compiles dossiers on millions of foreign citizens around the world, using the material it gathers to influence and intimidate, reward and blackmail, flatter and humiliate, divide and conquer. “Beijing has stolen sensitive data sufficient to build a dossier on every American adult — and on many of our children too.” China is exploiting US social media platforms, **Pottinger said**, and using them to spread [[:propaganda]]. “Over the past few years, **Beijing has flooded US platforms with overt and covert propaganda**, amplified by proxies and bots,” he said. “The [[:propaganda]] is focused not only on promoting whitewashed narratives of Beijing’s policies but also on exacerbating social tensions within the United States and other target nations.” He argued that the US government should stop funding technologies in China — such as facial recognition and data mining — that Beijing can use to advance its surveillance. The US and its allies last month slammed China for a wide range of **“malicious cyber activities,”** including the massive hack of [[:Microsoft]]’s email service that exposed the private information of thousands of Americans. The White House accused China at the time of fostering “**an intelligence enterprise that includes contract hackers** who also conduct unsanctioned cyber operations worldwide.”((https://web.archive.org/web/20210809173220/https://nypost.com/2021/08/09/senate-panel-warned-china-has-enough-data-for-dossiers-on-all-americans/)) ==== Unnamed Corporate Shells in the Background ==== {{ ::matt_pottinger_china_six_llc_-_daily_beast.png?400|}} Matt Pottinger is veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He runs [[:China Six LLC]], a consulting firm focused on Asia.((https://web.archive.org/web/20170427102726/https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/matt-pottinger)) The name China Six LLC is erased from all Covid era references. ==== China Six LLC ==== {{ ::china_six_llc_2013_matt_pottinger.png?400|}} Apr 15, 2013 · [[:China Six LLC]] filed as a Foreign Limited Liability Company in the State of New York on Monday, April 15, 2013 and is approximately nine years old, as recorded in documents filed with New York Department of State. A corporate filing is called a foreign filing when an existing corporate entity files in a state other than the state they originally filed in. 110 Livingston Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 ((https://web.archive.org/web/20221215212209/https://www.corporationwiki.com/p/2qykwf/china-six-llc)) ==== 2022 China Six LLC Joins Member Companies - The US-China Business Council ==== 2020 list no Matt Pottinger China Six LLC((https://web.archive.org/web/20221118174357/https://www.uschina.org/about/member-companies)) {{ ::china_six_chamber_list.png?800|}} === Members "C" === C. H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. KG C.V. Starr & Co., Inc. Cabot Corporation Canadian Solar Inc. Capital Group Carbon, Inc. [[:Cargill]], Incorporated The [[:Carlyle Group]] Carrier Global Case New Holland Inc. Caterpillar Inc. Cheniere Energy, Inc. [[:Chevron]] China Beige Book International [[:China Six LLC]] Chubb Cigna [[:Cisco Systems]], Inc. Clarios LLC [[:Cloudflare]] Inc. The [[:Coca-Cola]] Company The Cohen Group [[:Comcast]] Corporation [[:ConocoPhillips]] Control Risks Corbu, LLC Corning Incorporated Corteva Agriscience [[:Covington & Burling]] LLP Cowen Inc. [[:Crowell & Moring]] LLP Crown Equipment Corporation Cummins Inc.((https://web.archive.org/web/20221118174357/https://www.uschina.org/about/member-companies)) {{ ::china_six_ppp_loan.png?600|}} ==== PPP Loan Data — China Six, LLC, New York, NY ==== (looks like Matt moved from The Village to Brooklyn during lockdowns) China Six, LLC is a sole proprietorship located at 353 West 12th Street in New York, New York that received a Coronavirus-related PPP loan from the SBA of $20,833.00 in April, 2020.((https://web.archive.org/web/20221215215957/https://www.federalpay.org/paycheck-protection-program/china-six-llc-new-york-ny)) ===== Foundation Front Group Roles ===== ==== FDD - Foundation for Defense of Democracy ==== Matthew Pottinger is **Chairman of FDD’s China Program**. Pottinger served the White House for four years in senior roles on the National Security Council staff, including as deputy national security advisor from 2019 to 2021. In that role, he coordinated the full spectrum of national security policy. He previously served as senior director for Asia, where he led the administration’s work on the Indo-Pacific region, in particular its shift on China policy. **Pottinger is credited with raising awareness of Chinese Communist Party efforts to spread influence** and interfere in various U.S. institutions, including academia, the tech sector and Wall Street. Before his White House service, Pottinger spent the late 1990s and early 2000s in China as a reporter for Reuters and the Wall Street Journal. He then fought in Iraq and Afghanistan as a US Marine during three combat deployments between 2007 and 2010. Following active duty, he founded and led an (UNNAMED) Asia-focused risk consultancy and ran Asia research at an (UNNAMED) investment fund in New York. ((https://web.archive.org/web/20210727011850/https://www.fdd.org/team/matthew-pottinger/)) ==== Vandenberg Coalition ==== {{ ::matt_pottinger_-_nsc_-_trump_covid_policy_-_board_vandenberg_coalition_.png?200|}} Matt Pottinger is on the Governance Board of the [[:Vandenberg Coalition]]. He is a distinguished visiting fellow at the [[:Hoover Institution]]. Pottinger served the [[:White House]] for four years in senior roles on the [[:National Security Council]] staff, including as deputy national security advisor from 2019 to 2021. In that role, he coordinated the full spectrum of national security policy. He previously served as senior director for Asia, where he led the administration’s work on the Indo-Pacific region, in particular its shift on China policy. Before his White House service, Pottinger spent the late 1990s and early 2000s **in China as a reporter** for [[:Reuters]] and the [[:Wall Street Journal]]. He then fought in Iraq and Afghanistan as a [[:US Marine]] during three combat deployments between 2007 and 2010. Following active duty, he founded and led an (UNNAMED) Asia-focused **risk consultancy** and ran **Asia research at an (UNNAMED) investment fund** in New York. ((https://web.archive.org/web/20220703182147/https://vandenbergcoalition.org/experts/matt-pottinger/)) ==== Hoover Profile ==== Distinguished Visiting Fellow Research Team:  China's Global Sharp Power ProjectParticipant Biography:  Matt Pottinger is a distinguished visiting fellow at the [[:Hoover Institution]]. Pottinger served the White House for four years in senior roles on the [[:National Security Council]] staff, including as deputy national security advisor from 2019 to 2021. In that role, he coordinated the full spectrum of national security policy. He previously served as senior director for Asia, where he led the administration’s work on the [[:Indo-Pacific]] region, in particular its shift on China policy. Before his White House service, Pottinger spent the late 1990s and early 2000s in China as a reporter for Reuters and the Wall Street Journal. He then fought in Iraq and Afghanistan as a US Marine during three combat deployments between 2007 and 2010. Following active duty, he founded and led an (UNNAMED) Asia-focused risk consultancy and ran Asia research at an (UNNANED) investment fund in New York.((https://web.archive.org/web/20210220232341/https://www.hoover.org/profiles/matt-pottinger)) ==== Senior Advisor at the Marathon Initiative ==== Matt Pottinger is a Senior Advisor at the [[:Marathon Initiative]] and Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Pottinger previously served at the White House for four years in senior roles on the National Security Council staff, including as Deputy National Security Advisor from 2019 to 2021. In that role, he coordinated the full spectrum of national security policy. Before that he served as Senior Director for Asia, where he led the administration’s work on Asia, and in particular its shift on China policy. “Matt Pottinger conceptualized and drove the most important shift in U.S. foreign policy since the end of the Cold War,” said former National Security Advisor [[:H.R. McMaster]] about Matt’s role in helping **reorient the United States toward great-power competition with China**.((https://web.archive.org/web/20210306080436/https://themarathoninitiative.org/matt-pottinger/)) Before his White House service, Matt spent the late 1990s and early 2000s in China as a reporter for Reuters and The Wall Street Journal. He then fought in Iraq and Afghanistan as a U.S. Marine during three combat deployments between 2007 and 2010. Following active duty, Matt founded and led an Asia-focused risk consultancy and ran Asia research at a multi-strategy investment fund in New York. ((https://web.archive.org/web/20220809113946/https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/experts/matthew-pottinger)) ==== Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Institut Montaigne ==== Matthew Pottinger is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Institut Montaigne from June to July 2022. He is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution and Chairman of the China Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He served at the White House for 4 years in senior roles on the National Security Council staff, including as Deputy National Security Advisor from 2019 to 2021. In that role, he coordinated the full spectrum of national security policy. Before that, he served as Senior Director for Asia, where he led the administration’s work on the Indo-Pacific region, and in particular its shift on China policy.((https://web.archive.org/web/20220809113946/https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/experts/matthew-pottinger)) ==== Lockdown Planning ==== The Talented Mr. Pottinger: The US Intelligence Agent Who Pushed [[:Lockdowns]] Brownstone By Michael Senger July 20, 2022 I barely knew who [[:Matt Pottinger]] was until I read that he’d appointed [[:Deborah Birx]] as White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator in her bizarrely self-incriminating memoir Silent Invasion. There’s little information about Pottinger’s role in Covid online. Yet Pottinger is portrayed as a leading protagonist in three different pro-lockdown books on America’s response to Covid-19: The Plague Year by the [[:New Yorker]]’s Lawrence Wright, Nightmare Scenario by the Washington Post’s [[:Yasmeen Abutaleb]], and Chaos Under Heaven by the [[:Washington Post]]’s Josh Rogin. Pottinger’s singularly outsized role in pushing for alarm, shutdowns, mandates, and science from China in the early months of Covid is extremely well-documented. Pottinger’s enormous influence during Covid is especially surprising not only because of his absence from online discussion about these events, but because of who he is. The son of leading [[:Department of Justice]] official [[:Stanley Pottinger]], Matt Pottinger graduated with a degree in Chinese studies in 1998 before going to work as a journalist in China for seven years, where he reported on topics including the original [[:SARS]]. In 2005, Pottinger unexpectedly left journalism and obtained an age waiver to join the US [[:Marine Corps]]. Over several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Pottinger became a decorated intelligence officer and met General Michael Flynn, who later appointed him to the [[:National Security Council]] (NSC). Pottinger was originally in line to be China Director, but Flynn gave him the more senior job of Asia Director. === KeepFear Alive === 1. Ratcheting Up Alarm via “Asymptomatic Spread” In January 2020, Pottinger unilaterally called meetings and ratcheted up alarm about the new coronavirus in the White House based on information from his own sources in China, despite having no official intelligence to back up his alarmism, breaching protocol on several occasions. In Washington, [[:Matt Pottinger]] was first made aware of the new coronavirus after China’s CDC Director called US CDC Director [[:Robert Redfield]] to report it on January 3, 2020. According to Pottinger, he grew increasingly alarmed due to the rumors he saw on Chinese social media ((https://brownstone.org/articles/the-talented-mr-pottinger-the-us-intelligence-agent-who-pushed-lockdowns/)) ==== The Director’s Chair Interview ==== In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with the former US Deputy National Security Adviser, Matthew Pottinger. Matt started out as a journalist based in China, served in the US Marine Corps, and joined the Trump administration first as the Asia senior director at the National Security Council and later as Deputy National Security Advisor. Michael and Matt speak about President Trump’s approach to foreign policy, the administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, and the future of both US and Australian relations with China. Matt explains what originally interested him in China, speaks about his time in the Marine Corps, and reveals why he resigned from the White House after the Capitol siege of 6 January.((https://web.archive.org/web/20221215191606/https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/director-s-chair-matt-pottinger-his-career-working-president-trump-china-covid)) ==== Matthew Pottinger on Flipping the U.S.-China Paradigm on its Head ==== By Bob Davis - The Wire China — June 26, 2022 A key figure in the Trump administration, the former reporter and Marine talks about the reality of the Chinese Communist Party's ambitions, the value of concrete actions vs. rhetoric, how Xi was flummoxed Trump, and why the CCP just can't help itself. Matt Pottinger played a crucial, behind-the-scenes role in the Trump administration’s break with decades of bipartisan agreement about engagement with China. Pottinger felt that U.S. leaders had deluded themselves into thinking that wrapping China more tightly into the U.S. economic orbit would change the way Beijing governed.  He came to these views in an unusual way for a China policymaker. He began his career as a journalist in China for [[:Reuters]] and The [[:Wall Street Journal]]. (We overlapped at the Journal but didn’t work together on stories.) After the [[:September 11]] terrorist attacks, he enlisted in the Marines at age 31 and worked in Afghanistan for Gen. [[:Michael Flynn]], who later became President Trump’s first national security advisor and recruited Pottinger to be his Asia chief at the National Security Council. Pottinger became a skilled bureaucratic operator. He **outlasted three Trump national security advisors** and was ultimately named deputy national security advisor.((https://web.archive.org/web/20220703215252/https://www.thewirechina.com/2022/06/26/matthew-pottinger-on-flipping-the-u-s-china-paradigm-on-its-head/)) ==== Remarks University of Virginia May 2020 ==== Remarks by Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger to the Miller Center at the University of Virginia FOREIGN POLICY | Issued on: May 4, 2020 The following is the English language version of a speech that was delivered by Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger in Mandarin Chinese.((https://web.archive.org/web/20200518081819/https://hk.usconsulate.gov/n-2020050401/)) ==== AEI Interview - Cold War Posture with Russia & China ==== American Enterprise Institute AEI is grandfather of NeoCon think tanks.. AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE | 1789 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20036 | 202.862.5800 | aei.org {{ ::matt_aei_really_sick_not_covid.png?800|}} Matt Pottinger: Thanks for having me. It's great to see you both. Marc Thiessen: We were all together at the AEI World Forum recently, which is an off-the-record event, and you were kind enough to speak in the plenary. And you had some fascinating comments, and you kindly agreed to come on the podcast and share them with our listeners. So, let me just start here by asking you where we are right now in what you described as the start of a new Cold War. Matt Pottinger: Yeah. So, this term Cold War is, for some people, contentious. It's interesting. There are, a lot of people understandably, have wanted to avoid admitting that we're really in some kind of a Cold War construct, again, except with the roles of Russia and China reversed, right? With China really as sort of the giant power, and the Russians in the junior partner role. But a Cold War is, it's a long-term strategic competition, right? It a competition between nuclear-armed great powers for whom military power is extremely important. And of course, there's a risk of a head-on confrontation militarily between the nuclear-armed great powers, but both sides in the first Cold War, as in the second, have an interest in trying to constrain the competition to non-military decisive means, so really competing in terms of technology and economic might, ideological and informational power. pdf page 8 Matt Pottinger - Why not just aim to win? I would be doing a couple of things. One, is that even as we rush munitions and supplies to Ukraine, and I think we should be doing everything possible to facilitate that the arsenals of other NATO members get front- loaded into this fight, right, we should be doing the same thing with, for Taiwan right now. We've seen, there was a rumor of a [[:KGB]] leak or an [[:FSB]] rather, leak that Beijing had, that they believe that Beijing was going to move on Taiwan later this year, which is conceivable. It is conceivable. So, we're already in the window of danger for Taiwan. So, **why not ensure that we are cranking out munitions**, so that we show that we are able, that Taiwan is able, just as we want to show and demonstrate that our European friends are able to sustain a long-term costly fight if, for Putin and for Xi Jinping alike, if she takes such a big step as invading Taiwan. Danielle Pletka: Matt, you make me very nervous. Listening to you describe this, what Xi Jinping is talking about is by no standard a Cold War, and by no standard an offer to allow us more time with which to bolster our own defenses, potentially undermine his, to decouple economically, and to somehow undermine the Chinese economy. What it sounds like we're faced with is an admittedly, not terribly competent, but nonetheless, very dangerous leader in Russia. We don't know how competent the Chinese military is, but those are very, very dangerous speeches. None of this sounds like Cold War to me. Am I misreading? Is he just being bellicose for another purpose? Matt Pottinger: Well, I think he's gearing up to invade Taiwan. I do. I think that we're in that wind of danger now, and that he is someone who talks a lot about taking decisive steps and not waiting. So, he's someone who is very patient when it came to building his own power. He's very patient in cultivating the relationships he needed to cultivate, to ultimately climb the ladder to the pinnacle of power in China. He's not in a patient mode anymore. That's, the patient time is now passed, if we were to believe what he's saying, when he's speaking in his own language to his own party leadership. So, what that tells me is that we need our business leaders to pay very, very close attention to the possibility that we are going to be in a head-on conflict or in a series of proxy fights, proxy wars, launched, not by us. Matt Pottinger: Remember, we didn't, just like the first Cold War, we didn't pick this one. We didn't start it, okay? This was started by Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin and some of their supporting role players like the Ayatollah, to a lesser extent, Kim Jong-un in Korea. But, we are now facing an actual war in Europe that is being underwritten by Xi Jinping and prosecuted by Vladimir Putin. If that's not a wake-up call to Volkswagen to start coming up with a new business model that doesn't rely entirely on the Chinese market, or Apple, if that doesn't wake up Apple to start finding alternatives to its supply chain, besides China, then those companies are going to go the way of the dodo, eventually.((https://web.archive.org/web/20221215231246/https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/FINAL-Pottinger-Transcript-3.23.22.pdf)) ==== Linked In Profile ==== ((https://web.archive.org/web/20221216005445/https://www.finnotes.org/people/matt-pottinger))