七月十八日，美國太平洋艦隊前情報資訊行動主管范耐堯上校（Captain James E. Fanell）在政治危機學刊Journal of Political Risk，公佈致特朗普總統公開信〈堅持到底：對抗中國極權擴張〉，獲美國等國約一百三十人聯署，包括美國政論家Anders Corr博士、美國軍官、各國學者賢達 等。范耐堯明言「中國夢」是中國人及世界其他地方的噩夢。強調中共在全球擴大霸權，乃係日益危及人類自由的惡毒威脅，例如鎮壓香港自治；成日威脅攻台；囚禁新疆百幾萬回民；企圖主導東中國海和南中國海；推廣一帶一路，債務陷阱外交。指出美國過去四十年，「安撫」中國，實質危及自身安全。鼓勵總統繼續實施強硬政策，進而化為制度，率領民主友邦，擊敗中國雄霸天下，壓制自由的野心。
七月二十二日中國外交部發言人耿爽指責范耐堯聯署信「充滿意識形態偏見和冷戰零和思維，百般詆毀抹黑中國內外政策」；又話「連署名單...夾雜法輪功邪教分子...令公開信的嚴肅性大打折扣」；聲稱「歷史已經並將繼續證明，挑動中美對抗衝突是危險歧途，推動中美合作共贏才是滄桑正道。」
七月三日，百名美國亞洲問題專家聯署，致美國總統特朗普及國會公開信，聲言中國並非敵人，要求總統停止遏制中國。范耐堯公開信或在回應之。
以下為曾焯文中譯的范耐堯公開信（任何人都可去jpolrisk .com參加聯署）：
特朗普總統鈞鑒：
在美國獨特的歷史，歷代都勇於維護宏揚美國立國精神，擊敗對美國及盟友自由的威脅。今日，我們這一代人面臨的挑戰是日益危及人類自由的惡毒威脅，即中共治下的中華人民共和國。
中共明顯的野心與美國戰略利益對立，中國正採取越來越多行動，危害美國和盟國。過去四十年，美國奉行開放政策，「安撫」中國，實質導致美國國家安全逐漸受到侵蝕。
不能這樣繼續下去。
中國並非我們希望的那樣。在我們的政治體制中，政治是常態，戰爭是例外。在中華人民共和國的世界觀中，恰恰相反。兩邊情況不對稱，甚為危險，展望未來，我們必須更深入瞭解，更小心處理。
中國展開運動，破壞美國及盟國國家利益，總統先生採取強力另類政策，廣泛連貫戰略對抗，吾人感到鼓舞，鼓勵總統先生堅持反擊中共。
總統先生國家安全戰略，強而有力，正確闡述美國何以必須對抗中華人民共和國，我們一概承認支持，反對暴政橫行完全符合美國立國精神，以及我們捍衛本國自由的優良傳統，有需要時，甚至包括海外自由。
我們注意到中共不承認現有國際秩序的原則規矩，於美利堅治世，這種原則規矩實現人類史上最偉大的全球和平繁榮時期。中共意識形態同實踐均拒絕這秩序。中國的統治者公開宣稱一套新規則，堅持其他國家遵守，例如企圖主導東中國海和南中國海，以及推廣所謂的一帶一路，債務陷阱外交，志在擴大中國全球霸權。中共唯一堅持不懈的原則是維持同擴大霸權。
在過去四十年的中美關係，好多美國外交政策專家未能準確評估中國的意圖，甚或將中共應受譴責的行為歸咎於治理十三億人的困難。這些綏靖中國信徒一次又一次告訴美國政策制定人：一旦經濟現代化足夠，中國就會成為「負責任的持份者」。這種情況並無發生，一日中共還在統治中國，這種情況都不會發生。
中共有系統壓制宗教自由和言論自由，包括新疆一百多萬回民被囚，香港自治日益受到鎮壓。中華人民共和國亦經常違反其義務，正如對世貿的責任、航行自由、保護南中國海珊瑚礁。然後，北京要求自己國民同世界其他地方，接受他們的虛假陳述和理由，恰似奧威爾一九八四式謊言。
中華人民共和國從來皆非和平政權。中共利用經濟軍事力量 ，所謂綜合國力，欺凌恐嚇他人。中共成日威脅攻打自由民主台灣。
中共正在擴大全球影響力，以經濟利益承諾，誘惑美國盟友同其他國家，獨裁資本主義包裝成自由貿易；商業行為貪污舞弊，不受控制；國家控制實體冒充客觀學術、科學或傳媒機構；貿易發展協議缺乏互惠透明，不可持續。中共污染所觸及的一切。
這種擴張主義明顯展開中共大戰略，並非偶然或暫時。黨的野心有好多堂皇名字，最新的有「中國夢」，「中華民族偉大復興」，「人類命運共同體」。共產黨的「夢」是中國人及世界其他地方的噩夢。
絕大多數中國人都希望過和平的生活，我們堅定他們。
但我們不支持中國共產黨政府，亦不支持危險的習近平集團。我們歡迎總統先生對付習近平政府的措施，恰當區隔美國經濟與中國削弱美國經濟的陰謀。美國任何「綏靖」外交、經濟或軍事政策都不能制止中共的大戰略。
如果有任何確定的外交成功指南，那就是美國領導，其他國家仿效。歷史告訴我們，一旦美國政策處方，如總統先生所制訂者，成為現實，率先明確投入，解決對自由世界的生存威脅，例如中共，美國盟友就會追隨。中共當前的戰略是推遲拖延，甚或是等待先生總統任期屆滿。因此，必須盡一切努力，化政策能耐為制度，重新平衡美中經濟關係，加強與同道民主國家聯盟，最終擊敗中國壓制自由的全球野心。
堅持到底！
請願信作者
美國退休海軍上校
美國太平洋艦隊情報與訊息作戰部前主任
James E. Fanell
Pic credit: U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Kolmel/RELEASED
美國簽名清單（截至二零一九年七月十八日，按英文字母順序排列）
Willard Anderson
Clarence Anthony Lieutenant Colonel, USMC (Ret)
Rod Azama Director The Chancellor Group
Bob Baker Former US Army Intelligence Analyst
Tim Beard Rear Admiral, USN (Ret)
Michael Bender Commander, USN (Ret)
Kenneth Benway Lieutenant Colonel, USA (Ret) U.S. Army Special Forces
Paul Berkowitz Former Staff Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
Joseph Bosco Retired Department of Defense
E. Bostwick Jr. Senior Intelligence Officer, GS-15 (Ret) USPACOM
Christopher Brassard President Ten Eyck Group
Robert Brodsky Captain, USN (Ret)
Nick Buck Captain, USN (Ret)
Naushard Cader Board Member/Director Center for War and Peace Studies
Roger Canfield Author americong.com and VVFH.org
Kevin Carrico Senior Lecturer Monash University
Dennis Carroll
Gordon Chang Writer
Edward Connelly, Ph.D. Chinese, Australian National University Independent Translator
David Connelly III Captain, USN (Ret)
Henry F. Cooper Ambassador, former Chief Defense & Space Negotiator with the Soviet Union, SDI Director
Anders Corr, Ph.D. Publisher Journal of Political Risk
Demetrius Cox Lieutenant Commander, USN (Ret) U.S. Pacific Fleet Veteran Intelligence Officer
Michael Craven
Iara Celeste Diaz Painter
Kenneth deGraffenreid Former Special Assistant to the President, Senior Director of Intelligence Programs, Ronald Reagan National Security Council
Donny DeLeon Filipino American Human Rights Alliance
Chuck DeVore Lieutenant Colonel, USAR (Ret) California State Assemblyman, 2004-2010; Special Assistant for Foreign Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1986-1988
Markham Dossett Commander, USNR (ret)
June Teufel-Dreyer Professor of Political Science University of Miami
Ian Easton Research Fellow Project 2049 Institute
Robert D. Eldridge President The Eldridge Think Tank
Richard Fisher
Nels Frye
Art Furtney Major, USMC, (Ret)
Frank J. Gaffney Vice Chairman Committee on the Present Danger: China
Samantha Gay
Kerry K. Gershaneck Professor & Senior Research Associate Thammasat University Faculty of Law (CPG)
Bill Gertz Author “Deceiving the Sky: Inside Communist China’s Drive for Global Supremacy”
Paul Giarra Commander, U.S. Navy (Ret)
Jose Gonzalez
Chadwick Gore Former Staff Director House Foreign Affairs Europe, Eurasia, Emerging Threats subcommittee
James Grundvig Freelance Investigative Journalist
Ilango Gurusamy Owner, Freedom on Wheels LLC and Propellant Software
Lianchao Han Vice-President Citizen Power Initiatives for China
Heath Hansen Specialist, USA (Ret) Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan
William Hawkins President Hamilton Center for National Strategy
Donald Henry Captain, USN, (Ret)
William C. Horn Captain, USN (Ret)
Bradley Johnson President Americans for Intelligence Reform
Frank Kelly Captain, USN (Ret)
James D. Kelly Rear Admiral, USN (Ret) President Center for International Exchange-US (NPO)
Miles Killoch
Roy Kirvan, Ph.D. U.S. Intelligence Community (Ret)
Ted Kresge Lieutenant General, USAF (Ret) Former Vice Commander U.S. Pacific Air Forces
Emil Levine Captain, USNR, (Ret)
Steve Lewandowski
Claire Lopez VP for Research & Analysis Center for Security Policy
Ben Lowsen China Strategist U.S. Air Force / Sawdey Solution Services, LLC
Holly Lynch Democrat Candidate for NY’s 10th Congressional District
Tim Lyon Captain, USN (Ret)
Victor Mair Professor University of Pennsylvania
Rod Martin Founder & CEO The Martin Organization, Inc.
Tidal W. McCoy Former Acting Secretary of the U.S. Air Force
Thomas G. McInerney Lieutenant General, USAF (Ret) Assistant Vice Chief of Staff U.S. Air Force
Randy McSmith Master Chief Petty Officer, USN (Ret)
John Mengel Captain, USN (Ret)
Paul Midler Author “What’s Wrong with China”
John Mills Colonel, USAR (Ret) Director (Ret) Cybersecurity Policy, Strategy, and International Affairs
James Mishina Lieutenant Colonel, USA (Ret) U.S. Tax Payer
Wayne Morris Colonel, USMC (Ret) Numerous Military Veteran Associations
Steven Mosher President Population Research Institute
Denis Muller Lieutenant Colonel, USMC (Ret)
Merle Mulvaney Lieutenant Colonel, USA (Ret) Member, Red Star Rising
Charles “Chuck” Nash Captain USN (Ret)
Jim Newman Captain, USN (Ret) JHU/APL
Grant Newsham Colonel, USMCR (retired) Visiting Scholar, National Chengchi University, Taiwan
Roscoe Nicholson II International Consultant
Peter O’Brien Captain, USN (Ret)
Edward O’Dowd PhD & Colonel, USA, (Ret)
Kyle Olbert Director of Operations East Turkistan National Awakening Movement
Don Oliphant President DWO Enterprises
Robert Oster Private Investor
Rebeca Page Publisher SD Metro Magazine
Robert Page Chairman/CEO REP Publishing, Inc.
Russ Penniman Rear Admiral, USN (Ret) Former Reserve Deputy Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet
Lawrence Peter Lieutenant Commander, USN (Ret)
Peter Pry Dr. & Director EMP Task Force
Robert Rector
Eric Reddig U.S. Navy Veteran
J.R. Reddig Captain, USN, (Ret)
Louis Riggio
Eric Rohrbach
Robert Rohrer
Gerard Roncolato Captain, USN (Ret.)
Warren Henry Rothman
Robert Rubel Captain, USN (Ret)
Mark Safranski Publisher zenpundit.com
Junko Sakamoto Consultant
Michael Schauf Captain USN (Ret) Military Intelligence
Stuart Schippereit Commander, USN (Ret) Former naval intelligence analyst
Paul Schmehl VVFH
Suzanne Scholte President Defense Forum Foundation
Carl Schuster Captain, USN (Ret) Adjunct Faculty, Hawaii Pacific University
Dan Seesholtz Captain, USN (Ret)
Lawrence Sellin Colonel, USAR (Ret) Iraq and Afghanistan veteran
William Sharp Former Host, Asia in Review
Stephen Sherman Director RADIX Foundation
Scott Shipman Owner B.B. Hoss, Inc.
Joseph Smith President (Ret) Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals
Fred Smith Captain, USN (Ret) Lecturer, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Peter Smith Captain, USN (Ret) Consultant
Pete Speer Lieutenant Commander, USN (Ret) Member, Red Star Rising
William A. Stanton Former Director of the American Institute in Taiwan
Guy Stitt CEO AMI International
Duane Stober Captain, USNR, (Ret) Former Reserve Intelligence Coordinator Area One
Mark Stokes Executive Director Project 2049 Institute
Fred Stratton Commander, USN (Ret)
Gary Stubblefield Commander, USN (Ret)
John Tate Commander, USN (Ret)
Bradley Thayer Professor University of Texas San Antonio
Mark Tiernan Captain, USNR (Ret)
John J. Tkacik Director, Future Asia Project International Assessment and Strategy Center
Don Tse Lead researcher SinoInsider
Paul Valleley Major General, USA (Ret) Chairman Stand Up America
John E. Vinson Captain USN, (Ret)
Thomas Wade
Arthur Waldron Lauder Professor of international Relations University of Pennsylvania
Yana Way Educator, Way Tutoring
Toshi Yoshihara PhD, Author “Red Star Over the Pacific”
James Zumwalt Lieutenant Colonel, USMC (Ret)
Jennifer Zeng Author of “Witnessing History: One Woman’s Fight for Freedom and Falun Gong”
Foreign Signatures (As of July 18, 2019)
Terence Russell Senior Scholar University of Manitoba Canada
Doris Liu Independent documentary journalist Canada
Jianli Yang Founder & President Citizen Power Initiatives for China China
Elena Bernini CEO Oxford Omnia International Italy
Satoshi Nishihata Washington Bureau Chief The Liberty, Happy Science USA Japan
Larry Ong Senior analyst SinoInsider Singapore
Chu-cheng Ming Senior researcher SinoInsider Taiwan