The 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, catapulted national security to the forefront of the U.S. presidential primary campaigns. Yet, while terrorism is a serious and widely acknowledged threat, the rise of China -- another major challenge and perhaps one with greater long-term consequences for America and for the world -- has been all but ignored.
There has been ritualistic U.S. criticism of China, but even this has been muted. Candidates have called out China for cyberattacks or aggression in the South China Sea, but only to check the box before pivoting to Iran, Russia or ISIS.
