This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Chinese nationals who immigrate to the U.S. are failing to assimilate, are staying connected to the Chinese Communist Party, and are being used as tools to spy on Americans, according to a retired American general.

During an interview with Fox News host Mark Levin, Gen. Robert Spalding said the Chinese government is essentially forcing Chinese nationals abroad to use Chinese social media platforms to keep them connected.

"China's strategy was to basically create this firewall and then keep the people on those social media platforms, so when they came over they would stay connected to the Chinese government. So, essentially, you see the same thing with these people coming over, they are on their social media platforms, they are within their groups and they stay with them, and I think part of the problem is we haven't moved to ban those types of communications within this country," Spalding told Levin.

Because these platforms are not banned in the U.S., Spalding stated Chinese nationals living in America are not assimilating to American culture, and in turn are not fully realizing the benefits of living in a free society.

"So university students that come from China, they stay on their platforms, they speak in Chinese, they don't assimilate, so they don't actually get to understand the benefits of living in a free society, because they stay connected to the Chinese Communist Party, and as you know, in the Middle East, the Islamic leaders are connected to their followers, who as you rightly point out, have come across the southern border," Spalding said.

The general pointed out one of the most dangerous platforms available right now for Chinese spying is TikTok, which is owned by the CCP, and further noted there is an ideological war happening right now.

"This is an ideological war that's being powered by these platforms, but unfortunately we have very little control over, because we have chosen not to understand the war for what it is, its an information, its an ideological war," he said.

Levin stated enemy states like China are using the open borders to infiltrate American society, and spread anti-American sentiments, becoming the "enemy within."

Spalding agreed, noting there is already a huge problem in culture, especially within social media platforms such as TikTok which he says are spreading propaganda.

"If you talk to any of the old former Sovietologists who studied active measures, you know its active measures on steroids, and they will tell you exactly what needs to be done, and we need to shut it off, because it is a vector of attack of our society," Spalding said.

"They want to break down our society, they want to create division, they want to have people question in their minds the value of a constitutional republic. So we have to treat that like a direct attack on the homeland. It's not a bomb or a missile, but it's even more devastating in my opinion."

Spalding added a warning: unless lawmakers are willing to take on the task of taking down TikTok and other platforms like WeChat, ideological attacks from China and other enemy states will continue to be a serious problem for the U.S.