>So the alternative is to defend democracy by letting a foreign authoritarian entity take over your country in the name of (their) freedom?

People being convinced to change their countries geopolitical policies seems to me a perfectly legitimate thing to do in a democracy.

If the american people would like closer relations to china and vote accordingly that seems to me to be the whole point of democracy.

China engaging and supporting that is also a perfectly legitimate means of achieving its goals, no? Or would you prefer that instead of convincing the american people of that, they should instead bribe or coerce their politicians behind closed fdoors?