LAUREN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
A COURT IN CHINA MEANWHILE HAS
SENTENCED A CANADIAN BUSINESSMAN
TO 11 YEARS IN PRISON, DECLARING
HIM GUILTY OF SPYING.
MICHAEL SPAVER HAS BEEN HELD IN
CHINA FOR 975 DAYS.
CRITICS ARE CALLING THIS CASE
HOSTAGE POLITICS.
HIS ARREST FOLLOWS -- YOU
REMEMBER THE 2018 DETAINMENT OF
THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF
HUAWEI, THAT HAPPENED ATIVAN
COVER AIRPORT.
HUAWEI HAS BEEN STEALING
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FROM THE
WEST FOR DECADES.
THE HUAWEI EXECUTIVE IS FACING
CHARGES IN THE UNITED STATES FOR
POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS FOR TRADE
SANCTIONS WITH IRAN.
JOINING ME NOW IS FORMER TRUMP
AND GEORGE W. BUSH STATE
DEPARTMENT SENIOR ADVISOR
CHRISTIAN WHITEN.
IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS CANADIAN
INDIVIDUAL, 11 YEARS IN PRISON
IN CHINA.
>> RIGHT.
AND THE IDEA THAT THIS PERSON
WAS ACTUALLY SPYING IS
LUDICROUS.
THIS IS AS YOU SUGGEST
ABSOLUTELY AT THIS AT THIS TIT-F
DETAINMENTDETAINMENT IN CHINA FO
OF HUAWEI.
HUAWEI IS BASICALLY LIKE APPLE,
QUALCOMM AND NSA ROLLED INTO ONE
IN A CHINESE COMPANY AND SHE WAS
OUT ALLEGEDLY HELPING COMPANIES
OR TRYING TO GET COMPANIES TO
VIOLATE U.S. SANCTIONS ON IRAN.
SHE’S BEING HELD IN CANADA.
THAT CASE IS COMING TO A HEAD
THIS WEEK.
WE COULD HAVE A DECISION AS
EARLY AS THE 20th AS TO
WHETHER OR NOT CANADA WILL
DEPORT HER TO THE UNITED STATES
TO FACE TRIAL.
THIS IS CHINA BASICALLY TAKING
TWO EX DIPLOMAT BUSINESSMEN IN
CHINA AND CHUCKING THEM IN JAIL.
MARIA: UNBELIEVABLE.
CHRISTIAN, I MEAN, MY FEELING IS
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE THE
FREE WORLD START REACTING TO
THIS BAD BEHAVIOR BY THE CCP.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO WALK ON EGG
SHELLS AROUND CHINA?
WHY AREN’T WE HAVING AN HONEST
DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT’S TAKING
PLACE HERE?
AND WE HAVE BEEN ON THIS PROGRAM
NOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
BUT I MEAN, JUST THE FACT THAT
THE CCP MARCHES INTO HONG KONG
LAST YEAR WITH THEIR GOOSE STEP
POLICE, START THROWING LAWS
AROUND, THE NEW NATIONAL
SECURITY LAW, THROWING FREEDOM
FIGHTERS LIKE JIMMY LAI IN JAIL
AND NO REACTION FROM THE FREE
WORLD.
YOU GET A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SAYING
BUSINESSES NEED TO BE CAREFUL IN
HONG KONG.
REALLY?
>> RIGHT.
IT’S A BIG CHANGE FROM THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION WHERE, FOR
EXAMPLE, SECRETARY OF STATE
POMPEO MET WITH JIMMY LAI, THIS
IS OBVIOUSLY BEFORE HE WAS
THROWN IN JAIL BACK IN HONG
KONG, VICE PRESIDENT PENCE MET
HIM TOO.
THERE WAS A LOT OF EMPHASIS, A
LOT OF FOCUS ON THIS.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT UNDER JANET
YELLEN DID PUT OUT AN ADVISORY
SAYING THERE ARE PROBLEMS TO DO
BUSINESS IN HONG KONG.
IT’S ACTUALLY SAFER TO DO
BUSINESS ON THE MAINLAND.
HONG KONG, MAYBE YOU PUT OUT A
NEGATIVE ANALYST REPORT AND END
UP THROWN IN JAIL.
LAST WEEK I BELIEVE YOU HAD
JAMIE DIMON, THE CEO OF JP
MORGAN CHASE ON THIS PROGRAM WHO
SAID BLUNTLY, GEE, WE DON’T SET
FOREIGN POLICY, WE CAN’T SET
FOREIGN POLICY AND BECAUSE WE
CAN DO BUSINESS IN CHINA WE WILL
DO BUSINESS IN CHINA.
THAT IS I THINK TOO PREVALENT IN
WALL STREET AND CORPORATE
AMERICA.
APPLE HAS FAIR NOTICE TO MOVE
ITS SUPPLY CHAIN OUT OF CHINA
EVER SINCE THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION STARTED PUTTING
TARIFFS, THEY AVOIDED THINGS,
CONSUMER GOODS LIKE iPHONES
BUT SOME OF THESE COMPANIES HAVE
REACTED.
THE PRICE OF COMMERCIAL REAL
ESTATE IN VIETNAM IS THE ONE
PLACE WHERE FACTORIES COST MORE
THAN THEY DID BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC.
BUT A LOT OF COMPANIES HAVEN’T
GOTTEN NOTICE.
MARIA: PART OF THE ISSUE IS THE
1.4 BILLION PERSON POPULATION IN
CHINA, IS DOLLAR SIGNS FOR ALL
OF THESE CORPORATE EXECUTIVES.
BUT THERE ARE SERIOUS NATIONAL
SECURITY ISSUES AND, YOU KNOW, I
MEAN, YOU’RE NOT SEEING ANY
POLICY WITH TEETH MAKING SURE
THERE’S ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE
CCP’S ACTIONS.
SO, YES, CORPORATE AMERICA IS
LOOKING AT DOLLAR SIGNS BUT
THEY’RE ALSO GETTING A HAND FROM
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WHO IS
NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT
IS THE LEAST OF IT.
AND THAT’S BEEN GOING ON
DECADES.
HOW ABOUT XINJIANG AND THE SLAVE
LABOR, HOW ABOUT BULLYING
NEIGHBORS AND USING 2020 AS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN NEW GROUND
ACROSS THE YEAR LIKE IN INDIA,
LIKE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
>> RIGHT.
AND WITH THE OLYMPICS COMING
VERY QUICKLY, NEXT YEAR,
CONSIDERING WE JUST HAD THE
OLYMPICS, THOSE ARE GOING TO
TAKE PLACE IN BEIJING.
ABOUT THE LAST PLACE IN THE
WORLD YOU WOULD THINK OF FOR
WINTER SPORTS.
WINTER OLYMPICS ARE GOING TO BE
THERE, THAT’S LIKE DOING MARDI
GRAS IN UTAH.
WE CAN’T GET OUR PEOPLE TO TALK
SERIOUSLY ABOUT A BOYCOTT OF
THAT.
SO WE’RE GOING TO BE CELEBRATING
OLYMPICS WHEN THERE’S SLAVE
LABOR IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS
JUST A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES AWAY
IN XINJIANG.
THE IDEA THAT COMPANIES CAN
CAPTURE THIS GIANT MARKET, THIS
GOES BACK TO WHEN THE BRITISH
WERE FOOLING AROUND IN THE OPIUM
WARS AND THOUGHT THAT’S A HUGE
MARKET OX WE’LL, WE’LL CAPTURE I
THE CHINESE WILL NEVER LET YOU
TAKE OVER OF THIS MARKET.
IT’S A MIRAGE THAT OUR PEOPLE
KEEP PULLING FOR.
WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION,
THEY HAVE CONTINUED SOME TRUMP
POLICIES.
IF YOU’RE NOT SORT OF EXPANDING
THEM, IF YOU’RE NOT ADDING NEW
THINGS, PEOPLE FIGURE OUT A WAY
TO GET AROUND EXPORT CONTROLS
AND GET AROUND SOME OF THE
TARIFFS THAT LOST THEIR SHOCK
VALUE.
SO SORT OF STAYING STEADY THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS ALMOST
LETTING CHINA OFF THE HOOK.
MARIA: YEAH, BUT THEY REALLY
HAVEN’T -- YES, THEY’VE STAYED
STEADY BUT YOU’RE SEEING
IGNORING OF SOME SERIOUS BAD
BEHAVIOR HERE AND YOU’RE RIGHT,
IN TERMS OF THE CCP NOT ALLOWING
OUTSIDERS TO REALLY HAVE A PIECE
OF IT.
THAT’S WHY I ASKED JAMIE DIMON
DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE ANY
CONTRACT YOU SIGN WILL BE BACKED
BY THE RULE OF LAW.
LET ME MOVE ON.
BECAUSE YOU’VE ALSO GOT THE
FOREIGN POLICY AND THE BLUNDER
AS IT RELATES TO THE MIDDLE
EAST, AFGHANISTAN.
THREE MORE PROVINCIAL CAPITALS
COLLAPSING TO THE TALIBAN.
NOW THE TALIBAN HAS TAKEN OVER
NINE CITIES.
THEY’VE BEEN OVERRUN BY THE
EXTREMIST GROUP, JUST IN LESS
THAN A WEEK, CHRISTIAN.
OKAY.
A WEEK.
DESPITE THE PRESIDENT SAYING
THAT HE’S STANDING BEHIND HIS
DECISION TO COMPLETELY WITHDRAW
THE U.S. TROOPS FROM THE COUNTRY
BY THE END OF THE MONTH.
WATCH THIS.
>> THEY’VE GOT TO FIGHT FOR
THEMSELVES, FIGHT FOR THEIR
NATION.
THE UNITED STATES WE CONTINUE TO
KEEP THE COMMITMENTS WE MADE.
BUT THEY’VE GOT TO WANT TO
FIGHT.
I DO NOT REGRET MY DECISION.
MARIA: SO CHRISTIAN, WHAT DO
YOU THINK?
THE TALIBAN CONTINUES TO GAIN
GROUND IN AFGHANISTAN.
NOW WE’RE WATCHING KABUL, WE’RE
WAITING TO SEE IF KABUL FALLS
NEXT.
U.S. OFFICIALS ARE WARNING THE
CAPITAL CITY’S COLLAPSE COULD
COME SOONER THAN PREVIOUSLY
THOUGHT.
CHRISTIAN.
>> RIGHT.
THE TIMELINE HAS BEEN MOVED UP.
OUR BRILLIANT $80 BILLION A YEAR
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
ORIGINALLY SAID THAT WOULD BE A
MATTER OF YEARS AFTER A U.S.
WITHDRAWAL, IF EVER.
THEY MOVED IT UP TO SIX MONTHS A
COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
NOW IT MAY BE VERY QUICK.
SOME OF THE CAPITALS HAVE FALLEN
WITHOUT ANY REAL FIGHTING.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME FIGHTING.
THIS ISN’T OCCURRING IN A
VACUUM.
YOU CANNOT BE BIDEN AND BE WEAK
ON THE CHINESE WHEN THEY COME
AND GIVE US A LECTURE ON RACISM
IN ALASKA.
YOU CAN’T REJOIN THE PARIS
ACCORD IN RETURN FOR NOTHING.
YOU CAN’T SHOW UP SIX TIMES IN
VIENNA TO BEG THE IRANIANS TO
REJOIN THE RIDICULOUS NUCLEAR
DEAL AND NOT HAVE THAT SINK IN
ON ADVERSARIES AROUND THE WORLD.
UNLIKE THE NORTH VIETNAMESE, THE
TALIBAN ARE NOT ALLOWING A
DECENT INTERVAL BEFORE MAKING
THEIR MOVE.
BIDEN HASN’T SERIOUSLY APPEARED
TO BACK THESE GUYS THAT HE SAYS
HAVE TO FIGHT ON THEIR OWN.
WE DO HAVE A MILITARY AND A
MILITARY BUREAUCRACY THAT HAS
SAID THAT THIS FORCE IN
AFGHANISTAN ARE VERY CLOSE TO
BEING VIABLE.
300,000 MEN IN THE ARMY, THAT’S
THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF THE
BRITISH OR FRENCH ARMY.
FOR THEM TO FOLD THIS QUICKLY,
YOU HAVE TO CALL INTO QUESTION
THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
THAT’S BEEN BASICALLY LYING TO
US FOR THE BETTER PART OF A
DECADE THAT THERE’S VIABILITY
FOR FIGHTING.
MARIA: LET ME UNDERLYING THE
OLYMPICS IN BEIJING.
YOU SHOULD LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED
TO THE CANADIAN BUSINESS MAN,
WHAT HAPPENED TO JACK MA LAST
YEAR, HE DISAPPEARED FOR THREE