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MARIA: AND WE BEGIN THIS SUNDAY
MORNING WITH THE VERY LATEST
THREAT FROM COMMUNIST CHINA AND
ITS IMPACT ON AMERICA.
AFTER THE CCP CONDUCTED ONE OF
THE LARGEST MILITARY DRILLS EVER
NEAR TAIWAN JUST LAST WEEK, AS
THE GOP HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS
MEMBERS WERE ON THE GROUND IN
TAIWAN MEETING WITH TAIWANESE
OFFICIALS.
CHINA’S SHOW OF BRAVADO COMING
AFTER TAIWAN’S PRESIDENT VISITED
THE UNITED STATES, MEETING WITH
HOUSE SPEAKER, CONGRESSMAN KEVIN
McCARTHY.
WHILE ON THE GROUND, GOP FOREIGN
AFFAIRS CHAIRMAN MICHAEL
McCAUL DISCUSSED TAIWAN’S
READINESS.
HE IS PUSHING TO DELIVER THE
WEAPONS ALREADY AGREED UPON TO
TAIWAN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
CURRENTLY, SOME 60% OF GLOBAL
TRADE MOVES THROUGH THE TAIWAN
STRAITS WHILE 90% OF ADVANCED
SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING
HAPPENS IN TAIWAN.
MEANING A POTENTIAL INCURSION OF
THE ISLAND OF TAIWAN AND A
TAKEOVER OF THAT SEMICONDUCTOR
MANUFACTURING COULD CRIPPLE THE
UNITED STATES AND THE WORLD.
AFTER HIS TRIP ON THURSDAY,
CHINA’S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS SANCTIONED HOUSE FOREIGN
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
MICHAEL McCAUL SAYING HE,
QUOTE, SERIOUSLY VIOLATED ONE
CHINA PRINCIPLE AND THE
PROVISIONS OF THE THREE JOINT
COMMUNE ANEMICS OF CHINA AND THE
U.S.
JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS THE MAN
HIMSELF, TEXASMAN MICHAEL
McCAUL.
AND, MR. CHAIRMAN, THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR BEING HERE THIS
MORNING.
>> THANKS, MARIA.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
MARIA: I WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE
ON WHAT YOU LEARNED WHILE ON THE
GROUND THERE.
YOU TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY
THROUGHOUT TAIWAN AND THE
SURROUNDING REGION.
BUT FIRST, ADDRESS THIS ISSUE
FROM CHINA SANCTIONING YOU.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN, YOU
ARE NOW SANCTIONED BY COMMUNIST
CHINA?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, THE TAIWAN RELATIONS ACT
1979 ALLOWS US TO VISIT ANY
HEADS OF STATE OF TAIWAN.
SHE VISITED THE UNITED STATES,
AND SOMEHOW THEY’RE ALL BENT OUT
OF SHAPE ABOUT THIS.
YOU KNOW, THEY THREATENED US BY
E-MAILS PRIOR TO ENTERING THE
ISLAND.
SO WHAT IT MEANS, BASICALLY, IS
I CANNOT TRAVEL TO THE CHINA.
I’VE BEEN BANNED FROM ANY
TRAVEL, NOR CAN I CONDUCT ANY
BUSINESS ACTIVITY IN CHINA OR
WORK WITH ANY INDIVIDUALS FROM
THE PRC RELATED TO THAT.
YOU KNOW, BUT QUITE FRANKLY,
MARIA, VIEW IT AS A BADGE OF
HONOR.
COMMUNIST CHINA’S GETTING SO
AGGRESSIVE RIGHT NOW, AND THAT
WAS DEMONSTRATED BY WHAT THEY
DID AROUND THE ISLANDS IN JUST
COUPLE DAYS WE WERE THERE.
WE HAD ENTHE BATTLESHIPS
SURROUNDING -- TEN BATTLESHIPS
SURROUNDING ISLAND, AN AIRCRAFT
CARRIER AND 70 CHINESE FIGHTER
JETS IN THE AIR THREATENING US
AND PRESIDENT TSAI THE ENTIRE
TIME WE WERE IN TAIWAN.
MARIA: WELL, THAT’S PRETTY
EXTRAORDINARY.
WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE WHILE YOU
WERE ON THE GROUND?
HERE YOU ARE ON THIS ISLAND
NATION, AND YOU’VE GOT 71
CHINESE FIGHTER E JETS, AND
YOU’VE GOT THE 10 BATTLESHIPS
INCLUDING A LARGE AIRCRAFT
CARRIER AROUND YOU.
WHAT DID THE OFFICIALS SAY OR
HOW DID THEY RESPOND TO SUCH A
BRAVADO ACT FROM THE CCP?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY BRIEFED
ME ON IT IN A CLASSIFIED SPACE
THAT WE’RE SURROUNDED.
YOU KNOW, I SAW IT MORE AS
INTIMIDATION RATHER THAN A
DIRECT THREAT TO ME AND MY
PERSONAL SAFETY.
BUT IT’S THEM SHOWING THEIR
BRAVADO TO THEIR PEOPLE.
THEY FEEL COMPELLED TO HAVE TO
DO THIS ANYTIME, YOU KNOW, A
HIGH RANKING OFFICIAL MEETS WITH
PRESIDENT TSAI LIKE KEN
McCARTHY DID -- KEVIN
McCARTHY KID AND MYSELF.
WE’RE NOT GOING TO LET THAT
DETER US IN ANY WAY.
WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO MEET WITH
HER AND SHOW OUR SUPPORT TO
STAND WITH TAIWAN EXISTENCE THIS
VERY -- AGAINST THIS VERY IN THE
FACE OF AGGRESSION, AS YOU
MENTIONED, WEAKNESS INVITES
AGGRESSION AT THE BEGINNING OF
SHOW.
AND THIS IS ALL I’VE SEEN FROM
THIS ADMINISTRATION, IS
PROJECTING WEAKNESS.
AND WHEN YOU DO THAT THE, YOU
INVITE AGGRESSION AND WAR, AND
WE SAW AFTER AFGHANISTAN FELL,
WE SAW IT WHEN PUTIN INVADED
UKRAINE, AND NOW WE’RE SEEING
WIT CHAIRMAN XI THREATENING
TAIWAN AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS.
MARIA: THIS IS VERY DISTURBING.
CONGRESSMAN, I WANT TO GET YOUR
TAKE ON WHERE ALL OF THIS
WEAPONRY STANDS, BECAUSE I KNOW
THAT YOU HAD CUSHIONS ABOUT
READINESS -- DISCUSSIONS ABOUT
READINESS.
IS TAIWAN READY FOR A POTENTIAL
BLOCKADE FROM IF CHINA?
THEY HAVE ALREADY ORDERED AND
BOUGHT, PAID FOR 22 WEAPONS AT
LEAST THAT I KNOW OF THAT ARE
SUPPOSED TO GO TO TAIWAN.
HOW CAN THEY HAVE NOT -- CAN HOW
COME THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT,
AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IN
TERMS OF TRYING TO GET MORE
AGGRESSIVE IN GETTING THAT
WEAPONRY TO TAIWANSOME.
>> LET ME JUST SAY, FIRST, WE
STANDED OUT FIRST WITH OUR
PACIFIC COMMANDER THERE GIVING
US A HIGH LEVEL BRIEF ON THREATS
TO THE PACIFIC IN THE REGION.
WE WENT TO JAPAN, MET WITH THE
PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN, WENT TO
SOUTH KOREA TO THE DM DIS, MET
WITH THE PRESIDENT OF SOUTH
KOREA, AND THEN WE ENDED UP IN I
TAIWAN.
I SIGNED OFF ON A 22 WEAPON
SYSTEMS, MARIA, THREE YEARS AGO.
SOME AS LONG AS FIVE YEARS AGO.
THEY HAVE YET TO GO INTO TAIWAN.
THEY’VE ACTUALLY PAID FOR THESE
WEAPONS.
SO WHEN I MEET PRESIDENT TSAI,
HER FIRST QUESTION, WHEN AM I
GOING TO GET MY WEAPONS?
THE WEAPONS PROVIDE THE
DETERRENCE, THE DETERRENCE
PROMOTES PEACE AND STOPS
CONFLICT.
IF WE HAVE NO DETERRENCE, JUST
LIKE UKRAINE IF WE HAVE NO
DETERRENCE THE ON THE GROUND IN
TAIWAN, REST ASSURED CHAIRMAN XI
WILL MAKE THAT CALCULATION.
IF HE CAN’T INFLUENCE THE NEXT
TAIWANESE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION,
HE WILL GO TO PLAN B AND EITHER
DO A BLOCKADE OR A MILITARY
INVASION OF THE ISLAND, SO
DETENDERNESS IS ABSOLUTELY
CRITICAL.
DETERRENCE.
MARIA: ARE THEY READY AT POINT?
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
READINESS, PUTTING THOSE
WEAPONRY ASIDE?
>> YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A WAYS TO
GO.
THEY NEED THE WEAPONS WE
PROMISED THEM WE WOULD PROVIDE
THEM.
WE NEED MORE COMBAT TRAINING ON
THE GROUND.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT STARLINK,
MARIA.
YOU AND I TALK ABOUT ISR, THAT’S
INTELLIGENCE SURVEIL IS LANCE,
RECOGNIZANCE.
CHINA HAS EYES AND EARS ON THE
GROUND EVERYWHERE IN THE PACIFIC
REGION.
OF WE HAVE SOME, BUT TAIWAN HAS
NON.
AND WE WE TALK -- HAS NONE.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE IDEA OF
PUTTING UP A STARLINK SATELLITE
SYSTEM TO GIVE TAIWAN EYES AND
EARS ON THE GROUND, TO SEE INTO
CHINA, TO THE SEE THE THREAT
BEFORE IT COMES SO THEY CAN STOP
IT FROM INVADING THE ISLAND.
MARIA: HOW COMMITTED DO YOU
THINK THE NEIGHBORS IN THE
REGION WILL BE TO SUPPORT TAIWAN
IF, IN FACT, WE WERE TO SEE A
BLOCKADE?
I’M TALKING ABOUT THE
PHILIPPINES, JAPAN, ETC.
YOU TRAVELED TO A NUMBER OF
AREAS NEAR TAIWAN AS WELL.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?
>> AND THAT’S SUCH A GREAT
QUESTION.
REMEMBER, IN THE PACIFIC THEY
DON’T HAVE NATO LIKE YOU HAVE IN
EUROPE.
THEY HAVE A LOOSE CONFIGURATION
OF PARTNERS, IF YOU WILL.
BUT WE HAVE A BASE IN GUAM THAT
WE VISITED WITH THE B-5 52, WE
HAVE THE 7TH FLEET IN JAPAN THAT
WE VISITED.
WE HAVE OPERATIONS OUT OF SOUTH
KOREA, AND WE ALSO HAVE A
FORWARD OPERATING BASE IN THE
PHILIPPINES.
BUT THE QUESTION IS A GOOD ONE
WITH, MARIA, AND THAT IS IN THE
EVENT OF A CONFLICT, WOULD THOSE
COUNTRIES STAND BY TAIWAN IF THE
UNITED STATES DECIDED TO DEFEND
TAIWAN?
AND I SAY THAT WITH A BIG IF.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE WANT TO DO, BUT WE HAVE
TO HAVE ASSURANCES, WE HAVE TO
START HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS
NOW WITH THEM THAT THEY WOULD
ALLOW US TO OPERATE OUT OF THESE
BASES TO PROVIDE THE DETERRENCE
AND ALSO IN THE EVENT OF AN
INVASION TO PUSH BACK COMMUNIST
CHINA AGGRESSION.
BECAUSE IT’S NOT JUST TIE
WARNING IT’S THE ENTIRE PACIFIC
REGION AT STAKE.
MARIA: YEAH.
AND HOW ABOUT THE ENTIRE WORLD
WITH 90% OF ADVANCED
SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING
HAPPENING IN TAIWAN.
AND TELL ME ABOUT TRADE GOING
THROUGH THE TAIWAN STRAITS.
I MEAN, TELL US ABOUT THE IMPACT
TO AMERICA ON ALL OF YOUR, WORK.
>> YOU KNOW, I TALK A LOT ABOUT
FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY, BUT, YOU
KNOW, BEYOND THAT YOU’VE GOT 60%
OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE GOING
THROUGH THE TAIWAN STRAITS.
90% OF THE ADVANCED
SEMICONDUCTOR CAPABILITY,
MANUFACTURING CAPABILITY, FOR
THE WORLD IS IN TAIWAN.
PRECISELY WHY SECRETARY POMPEO,
WILBUR ROSS, MYSELF THROUGH THE
CHIPS ACT TRIED TO PULL THAT
SUPPLY CHAIN OUT OF TAIWAN, INTO
THE UNITED STATES.
BUT THE FACT IS IT’S STILL AT
90%.
IMAGINE IF CHINA INVADED
TOMORROW, COMMUNIST CHINA, AND
EITHER TOOK OVER AND OWNED TSMC,
THE CHIP MANUFACTURER, OR BROKE
IT.
EITHER WAY, WE WOULD BE IN A
WORLD OF HURT, AND CHINA WOULD
BE THE MOST DOMINATING ECONOMIC
AND MILITARY FORCE ON THE
PLANET.
MARIA: YEAH.
I WANT TO MOVE ON TO YOU KNOW
AND PENTAGON LEAK IN A MINUTE,
BUT REAL QUICK ON THIS ISR, THE
STARLUNGE SYSTEM WHICH WOULD
GIVE -- STARLINK SYSTEM, DO YOU
THINK YOU’LL BE SUCCESSFUL MANY
GETTING THAT DONE?
>> IT WAS A BUG TAKEAWAY FROM
OUR -- BIG TAKEAWAY FROM OUR
CHIP -- TRIP.
TO YOUR POINT, I WOULD HOPE THE
ADMINISTRATION WOULD WAKE UP AND
START GETTING THESE WEAPONS IN.
GET THEM THIS ISR CAPABILITY, IN
THIS STARLINK.
BECAUSED TODAY AS YOU HAVE SAID,
I SEE NO DETERRENCE COMING FROM
THIS ADMINISTRATION.
AND AS YOU KNOW GOING BACK TO
THE CHAMBERLAIN AND HITLER,
WEAKNESS ALWAYS INVITES
AGGRESSION AND WAR.
I WANT PEACE.
WE’LL ONLY ACHIEVE THAT IF WE
CAN GET THE WEAPONS MANY AND
DETERRENCE.
THE KEY HERE IS THAT PRESIDENT
XI, CHAIRMAN XI, HAS TO
CALCULATE THE PRICE WOULD BE TOO
HIGH TO INVADE AND, THEREFORE,
BE DETERRED FROM THAT
AGGRESSION.
BUT RIGHT NOW, MARIA, I DON’T
SEE IT.
MARIA: WOW.
MICHAEL GALLAGHER TOLD ME THAT
HE THINKS THAT THEY’RE GOING TO
INVADE OR DO SOMETHING IN 2024.
IS THAT WHERE YOU ARE?
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY SAYS 2027.
MARIA: OKAY.
>> I PERSONALLY THINK THEY’RE
GOING TO TRY TO INFLUENCE THE
NEXT ELECTION IN JANUARY,
PRESIDENTIAL.
YOU ALREADY HAD THE FORMER
PRESIDENT OF TIE E WAN IN CHINA
MEETING WITH THE PRC ABOUT THEIR
PREFERRED CANDIDATE GOING INTO
THAT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
MARIA: YEAH.
>> IF THEY PREVAIL AND INFLUENCE
THE ELECTION, THEY WIN JUST LIKE
HONG KONG, WITHOUT A SHOT FIRED.
IF I THINK DON’T PREVAIL, THEN
THEY GO TO PLAN B, AND I THINK
THAT WOULD BE LIKELY A BLOCKADE
TYPE E SCENARIO WHERE THEY CUT
THE SEA CABLE, A MASSIVE CYBER
EVENT ON THE ISLAND, AND THEY
SHUT IT DOWN AND CUT OFF ALL
FOOD AND WART FOR A MART OF A
MONTH -- WATER FOR A MATTER OF A
MONTH, AND THEN THEY TAKE IT
OVER.
MARIA: WOW, THAT IS CHILLING.
REAL QUICK, THIS PENT PENTAGON
LEAK, ONE THING WE LEARNED WAS
THAT THERE ARE TROOPS ON THE
GROUND IN THE UKRAINE ACCORDING
TO LEAK.
YOU’RE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
DID YOU AUTHORIZE THAT?
WERE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE
CONSULTED IN TERMS OF SENDING
TROOPS TO UKRAINE BEFORE THIS
ADMINISTRATION DID SO?
>> NO, I DIDN’T AUTHORIZE THAT.
WE, WITHOUT GETTING INTO
CLASSIFIED, THE CLASSIFIED
LEVEL, IT HAS BEEN PUBLICLY
STATED BY JOHN KIRBY, AND IT’S
BEEN REPORTED THAT THERE ARE
ESSENTIALLY 70 OR SO NATO
FORCES, SPECIAL OPERATORS, 14
AMERICAN TO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT ON
THE MILITARY AID THAT’S GOING
INTO UKRAINE TO INSURE FIDELITY
THAT GOES TO THE RIGHT PLACE.
SO BE OVERSIGHT AND
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR WEAPONS GOING
INTO UKRAINE.
ALSO WHEN I WAS IN KYIV AT THE
EMBASSY, THEY ALSO PROVIDE
PROTECTION TO THE EMBASSY AND
VISITORS, YOU KNOW, LIKE
DELEGATIONS LIKE MY DELEGATION
WHEN WE WENT THROUGH.
THEY’RE NOT IN A COMBAT MODE
THERE.
JUST SIMPLY INSURING
ACCOUNTABILITY AND OVERSIGHT ON
THE WEAPONS GOING IN.
MARIA: OKAY.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A
BRIEFING ON THIS, YOUR
COMMITTEE, ON WEDNESDAY.
WE WILL BE WATCHING THAT FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION THERE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, GOOD TO SEE YOU IN
THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU, SIR.