UP.
WE KICK IT OFF WITH THIS TOP
STORY, OUTLINING A DEAL,
PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL MEET WITH
CHINA'S TOP TRADE NEGOTIATOR AT
THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY AS THE
WORLD'S TWO LARGEST ECONOMIES
ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THE TARIFF
FIGHT.
YESTERDAY I SPOKE WITH MIKE
POMPEO ON THE PROGRESS.
LET'S SAY YOU DO GET AN MOU AND
WE GET THESE AGREEMENTS THAT,
YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THE
NEEDLE ON I.P. THEFT.
HAVEN'T THEY MADE PROMISES TO US
IN THE PAST THAT THEY HAVEN'T
KEPT?
>> THAT'S ABSOLUTELY THE CASE.
WE WON'T FALL INTO THE SAME
PITFALLS.
THAT'S WHY TEN FORCEMENT
MECHANISM, IF YOU TALK TO
AMBASSADOR LIGHTHIZER OR CONNECT
MNUCHIN, THEY WILL TELL YOU THE
HEART OF THESE DISCUSSIONS WHICH
SURROUND ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS.
MARIA: JOINING ME RIGHT NOW
ANALYST, HE SERVED FOR SIX
SECRETARIES OF STATE, RICHARD
BOUCHER.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS VERY MUCH.
GOOD MORNING.
MARIA: WHAT ABOUT THAT, WHAT WE
JUST HEARD FROM SECRETARY OF
STATE MIKE POMPEO, LOOKING BACK,
MAKING SURE WE HAVE OVERSIGHT,
CHECKS AND BALANCES IN PLACE, DO
YOU THINK THAT'S POSSIBLE HERE?
CAN WE TRUST THE CHINESE THAT
ONCE THEY SIGN ON DOTTED
ONCE THEY SIGN ON TOTTED
ONCE THEY SIGN ON THETED
ONCE THEY SIGN ON THE DD
ONCE THEY SIGN ON THE DOTTED
LINE, THAT THEY WILL KEEP THEIR
COMMITMENTS?
>> I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT
NOT THE WAY THESE GUYS ARE GOING
ABOUT IT.
THIS IS THE SAME THING WE HAD IN
1980s WITH JAPAN.
WE HAD VAGUE PROMISES THAT
WEREN'T KEPT.
IF YOU WANT THE CHINESE TO KEEP
PROMISES, WE'VE GOT TO GANG UP
WITH THEM WITH OUR ALLIES WITH
THE WTO AND ELSEWHERE THAT HAVE
REAL RULES THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO
TAKE THEM TO COURT AND ENFORCE
THINGS.
MARIA: THE BIG ISSUES ARE AWAY
FROM THE TRADE IMBALANCE.
WE KNOW IT'S THE THEFT OF
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, THE
FORCED TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY,
IT'S ESPIONAGE, NOW THAT WE
LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT THE
BEHAVIOR OF HUAWEI AND ZTE,
THESE CHINESE TELECOM COMPANIES
HAVE MEANT.
SO WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THAT IN
TERMS OF THE BIG ELEPHANTS IN
THE ROOM AND WHETHER OR NOT
THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MOVE
THE NEEDLE ON SOME OF THOSE
ISSUES?
>> WELL, I THINK THEY'LL GET
VAGUE PROMISES.
I DON'T SEE THEY CAN GET
ANYTHING SOLID ENOUGH TO ENFORCE
IF THEY DON'T GO THROUGH AN
INTERNATIONAL MECHANISM.
LET'S FACE IT.
YOU'VE GOT TO GET ALL THE
YOU'VE GOT TO GET ALL CHE
YOU'VE GOT TO GET ALL COUNTRIES
THAT ARE CONCERNED, YOU'VE GOT
TO GET THE GERMANS, BRITISH,
FRENCH, THE JAPANESE, EVERYBODY
ELSE, TO SET A NEW SET OF RULES
FOR STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES AND
STRONGER SET OF RULES INCLUDING
RETALIATION FOR I.P. THEFT.
INSTEAD OF THAT, WE'VE GONE
AFTER OUR ALLY WAS ALUMINUM,
STEEL AND AUTO TARIFFS AND TRIED
TO DO IT ALONE WITH THE CHINESE.
IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK.
MARIA: THIS IS THE FIRST
PRESIDENT THAT HAS ACTUALLY
PUSHED BACK ON THE CHINESE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT HE HAD ANY
OTHER LEVERAGE POINT OTHER THAN
TARIFFS.
DID HE HAVE ANY OTHER WAY TO GET
THE CHINESE TO THE TABLE?
>> YEAH, TAKE THEM TO THE WTO,
GANG UP ON THEM WITH YOUR
FRIENDS.
MARIA: IT'S A FAIR POINT.
I THINK IT FEELS LIKE THE REST
OF THE WORLD IS FIGURING IT OUT,
MAYBE NOT, BECAUSE LAST WEEK
MIKE POMPEO WAS IN EUROPE AND
THEY WERE PUSHING BACK IN TERMS
OF LESSENING THEIR EXPOSURE TO
HUAWEI.
THE SYSTEMS ARE EMBEDDED IN
THESE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES,
INFRASTRUCTURE, TELECOM OVERALL.
SO ARE THEY GOING TO BE ABLE TO
CHANGE THAT NOW?
IT BECOMES AN EXPENSIVE PROCESS.
>> I HAVE TO SAY IT, DOESN'T
REALLY LOOK LIKE IT.
IT'S NOT THE SUNK INVESTMENT IN
INFRASTRUCTURE, BECAUSE YOU'VE
GOT TO BUILD A WHOLE NEW
INFRASTRUCTURE ALMOST FOR 5G.
IT'S THE FACT THAT AS POMPEO
SAID TO YOU, HE WANTS TO MAKE
SURE EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME SET
OF FACTS.
WELL, THEY'VE LAID THEIR CASE
BEFORE THEM AND NOW IT LOOKS
LIKE GCHQ IN THE U.K., ONE OF
THE BEST INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES
IN THE WORLD, IS UNCONVINCED.
THE GERMANS ARE UNCONVINCED.
THE CANADIANS LOOK LIKE THEY'RE
UNCONVINCED.
SO WE LAID OUR CASE BEFORE THEM
AND I HAVE TO SAY, SINCE THE
IRAQ WAR, SOME OF THESE
COUNTRIES ARE PRETTY SKEPTICAL
ABOUT U.S. INTELLIGENCE.
MARIA: IT'S A GOOD POINT.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THIS
ALABAMA WOMAN WHO JOINED ISIS.
HER FATHER FILED A LAWSUIT
AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP.
HE SAYS THAT SHE SHOULDN'T BE
BARRED FROM RETURNING TO THE
UNITED STATES.
I ASKED SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE
POMPEO ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
HERE'S WHAT HE SAID YESTERDAY.
>> THIS IS A WOMAN WHO INFLICTED
ENORMOUS RISK ON AMERICAN
SOLDIERS, ON AMERICAN CITIZENS.
SHE'S A TEAR ELECTRICITY.
SHE'S NOT COMING BACK.
-- TERRORIST.
SHE'S NOT COMING BACK.
SHE'S NOT ENTITLED TO U.S.
CITIZENSHIP.
SHE'S NOT COMING BACK TO OUR
COUNTRY TO POSE A THREAT.
MARIA: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT
THAT, SIR?
>> IT'S HARD TO ADJUDICATE
WITHOUT HAVING ALL THE FACTS.
IT LOOKS LIKE SHE WAS BORN IN
THE UNITED STATES BUT MAYBE TO A
DIPLOMAT WHICH DOESN'T CONVEY
U.S. CITIZENSHIP TO HER.
THAT'S A QUESTION THAT HAS TO BE
SETTLED IN THE COURTS.
I HAVE TO SAY, I DON'T HAVE A
LOT OF SYMPATHY FOR HER.
I HAVE MORE SYMPATHY FOR THE
DREAMERS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE,
WORKED HERE, GRADUATED FROM HIGH
SCHOOL, JOINED THE MILITARY AND
CONTRIBUTED MORE TO THE UNITED
STATES.
MARIA: LET ME ASK ABOUT THE
SYRIA TROOP WITHDRAWAL.
IT'S APPARENTLY ON PAUSE.
THE ADMINISTRATION IS SAYING IT
WILL KEEP 200 U.S. TROOPS IN THE
COUNTRY AFTER ANNOUNCING IN
DECEMBER IT WAS ACTUALLY PULLING
OUT OF SYRIA.
WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THIS?
SHOULD THE TROOPS STAY?
SHOULD THE TROOPS GO?
AND I GUESS ONE OF THE ISSUES
HERE IS YOU'RE NOT FEELING LIKE
THERE'S A COHERENT MESSAGE
COMING OUT OF THE ADMINISTRATION
ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE THERE'S SO
MUCH DEBATE ABOUT IT.
>> IS THAT NEW?
ANYWAY, 200 TROOPS IS NOT ENOUGH
TO DO PEACE KEEPING.
NOT IN THE MESS THAT IS SYRIA.
200 TROOPS IS A HOOK.
IT'S A TOKEN.
IT'S A PLACE TO BE IN SYRIA WITH
ESPECIALLY THE KURDS, BECAUSE
OUR MAIN TASK RIGHT NOW IS TO
KEEP THE TUCKERS FROM GOING TURS
KEEP THE TUCKERS FROM GOING TURF
KEEP THE TUCKERS FROM GOING TURO
KEEP THE TUCKERS FROM GOING TURM
KEEP THE TUCKERS FROM GOING TURG
KEEP THE TUCKERS FROM GOING TURI
KEEP THE TUCKERS FROM GOING TURG
KEEP THE TUCKERS FROM GOING TURA
KEEP THE TUCKERS FROM GOING TURT
KEEP THE TUCKERS FROM GOING TURR
THE KURDS.
THE PRESIDENT ENSURES WE CAN DO
THAT DIPLOMATIC WORK AND HAVE
THE LIAISON FUNCTION WITH BOTH
SIDES TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T
START GOING AFTER EACH OTHER.