THE COIN, CHINA PRAISING ITS
CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA.
THE COUNTRY’S FOREIGN MINISTER
SAYING, QUOTE: NO MATTER HOW
PERILOUS THE INTERNATIONAL
LANDSCAPE, WE ARE MAINTAIN OUR
STRATEGIC FOCUS AND PROMOTE THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A COME COME
FROM -- COMPREHENSIVE
CHINA-RUSSIA PARTNERSHIP.
THE MINISTER SAID CHINA’S RED
CROSS WILL PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN
AID TO UKRAINE AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE.
JOINING US NOW, MICHAEL
PILLSBURY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
I READ THAT STATEMENT FROM THE
CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER, AND
WHAT I READ IS CHINA WILL MAKE
SURE EVERYTHING THE WEST DOES TO
SANCTION RUSSIA, THEY WILL
COUNTERACT.
IS THAT HOW YOU REED IT -- READ
IT?
>> VERY CLOSE TO THAT, BRIAN.
I THINK CHINA’S PLAYING THE LONG
GAME HERE, STICKING TO THEIR
HUNDRED-YEAR MARATHON STRATEGY,
I CALL IT.
THEY WANT TO BE THE NUMBER ONE
ECONOMIC POWER IN THE WORLD.
THEY THINK IT’S WITHIN REACH
WITHIN 4-5 YEARS, SO THEY’RE
TRYING TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS NOW.
THEY’RE HINTING THAT THEY’RE
GOING TO OBSERVE SOME OF THE
SANCTIONS, THIS 90-MINUTE
HARANGUE TODAY BY THE CHINESE
FOREIGN MINISTER ATTACKED
AMERICAN POLICY A LOT, BUT HE
STOPPED SHORT OF ACTUALLY
ENDORSING THE RUSSIAN INVASION.
SO EVERYBODY SORT OF KNOWS THAT
CHINA IS THE ONE POWER THAT HAS
SO MUCH INFLUENCE IN MOSCOW.
THEY CAN MAKE PUTIN STOP.
HIS BIGGEST BANKER, THEY’RE HIS
BIGGEST --
[AUDIO DIFFICULTY]
AND SO FAR THE CHINESE HAVE NOT
DECIDED WHICH WAY TO GO.
BUT IT LOOKS LIKE AS OF TODAY
THEY’RE TRYING TO BE, HAVE IT
BOTH WAYS, LIE TO BOTH SIDES.
BRIAN: IT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE
CHOSEN WHICH WAY TO GO.
THEY WON’T SAY THAT, OBVIOUSLY,
BUT THEY’RE --
>> YES.
BRIAN: -- TALKING ABOUT WE’RE
GOING TO BUY YOUR CHEAT, WE’RE
GOING TO BUY YOUR OIL, WE’RE
GOING TO PROVIDE THE PAYMENT
PLATFORMS AFTER MASTERCARD, VISA
AND AM --
>> YES.
BRIAN: THEY’RE STEPPING INTO THE
BREACH.
ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ARE OBVIOUSLY
THE CENTERPIECE OF WHAT THE U.S.
AND ITS NATO ALLIES ARE TRYING
TO DO, AND CHINA’S SAYING WE’VE
GOT THE ECONOMIC WEIGHT TO THROW
AROUND, AND WE’LL MAKE UP FOR
WHATEVER THE WEST IS TAKING
AWAY.
DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT CHINA’S
GOING TO REVERSE COURSE ON THAT?
>> I THINK YOU’RE RIGHT ABOUT
THE ACTUAL POLICY THEY’RE
FOLLOWING.
WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT IS YOU
MIGHT CALL THEIR DECEPTION
STRATEGY.
THEY WANT THE WORLD TO BELIEVE
THAT THEY’RE NOT REALLY FULLY
BACKING THE INVASION.
THEY DON’T WANT TO GET BLAMED.
THEY WANT TO HAVE, CONTINUE
THEIR DRIVE TO SELL THEIR
EXPORTS TO THE WORLD, TO BE LIKE
A FRIENDLY POWER.
SO THEY HAVEN’T GONE TOO FAR
WHEN THEY USE THIS VAGUE WORD
PARTNERSHIP.
THEY’RE ACTUALLY HELPING IN THE
REAL WORLD, THEY’RE HELPING THE
INVASION OF UKRAINE.
BUT THEY’RE TRYING TO GET AWAY
WITH IT.
AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S
TRYING TO WORK WITH CHINA, BUT
SO FAR THERE’S JUST NO RESULTS.
BRIAN: MICHAEL, YOU KNOW,
THERE’S BEEN THIS SURGERY IN
WILLINGNESS IN THE WEST TO SAY,
WHAT?
WE NEED TO STOP TRADING WITH
RUSSIA.
WE NEED TO SANCTION DIFFERENT
PRODUCTS, CUT THEM OFF.
WE’VE NEVER BEEN WILLING TO DO
THAT WITH CHINA EVEN THOUGH
THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY E GROAJ
JUICE HUMANITARIAN OFFENSES AND,
QUITE FRANKLY, STRAIGHT OUT
LYING ABOUT WHAT CHINA -- THE
GOVERNMENT AND CHINESE FIRMS
HAVE DONE WITH TECHNOLOGY.
DO YOU THINK COMING OUT OF THIS
ERA THERE’S GOING TO BE MORE
APPETITE TO SAY WE WILL TAKE A
HARDER LINE WITH CHINA FROM U.S.
COMPANIES, FROM THE IF U.S.
GOVERNMENT, FROM U.S. CONSUMERS?
>> WELL, THAT’S -- YOUR QUESTION
IS EXACTLY WHAT THE CHINESE ARE
CALIBRATING WHAT THEY’RE MOST
AFRAID OF, THAT WE WILL START TO
PUNISH THEM IF THEY GO ALL THE
WAY TO BACK THE INVASION OF
UKRAINE.
SO FAR WE’VE GOT MORE THAN $1
TRILLION INVESTED IN CHINA.
OUR TRADE AND INVESTMENT WITH
CHINA’S BEEN GOING UP THE PAST
YEAR, NOT DOWN.
THERE’S NO DECOUPLING GOING ON,
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THE
CONGRESS HAS BEEN DEBATING.
SO FAR NANCY PELOSI, I’M VERY
SAD TO SAY, HAS REFUSED TO JOIN
KEVIN McCARTHY AND THE
CONGRESSIONAL TASK FORCE ON
CHINA.
SO WE DON’T HAVE BIPARTISAN
COOPERATION YET.
IF NANCY PELOSI WOULD SAY, OKAY,
SANCTION CHINA, CUT BACK ON
TRADE, CUT THE INVESTMENTS, THAT
WOULD HAVE A HUGE EFFECT ON XI
JINPING IN BEIJING.
SO NANCY PELOSI, IN MANY WAYS,
HOLDS THE CARDS HERE.
I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD ASK HER
WHY DON’T YOU WANT TO CRACK TOWN
ON CHINA?
THEY’RE THE LEVERAGE TO GET
PUTIN TO STOP THE INVASION.
BRIAN: I SUSPECT THAT’S AN
ANSWER SHE DOES NOT WANT TO HAVE
TO GIVE, MICHAEL.
[LAUGHTER]