THANKS VERY MUCH INDEED, JEFF.
CHINA’S VICE FOREIGN MINISTER IS
BLAMING NATO FOR THE WAR IN
UKRAINE, CALLING IT "A COLD WAR
VESTAGE."
THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER WON
G YE ADDED CHINA IS
ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY
OVER THE CRISIS, "AS TIME WILL
TELL."
KT MCFARLAND JOINS ME NOW.
KT, HOW STRONG IS THE CHINA-
RUSSIA ALLIANCE?
>> WELL, IT’S INTERESTING,
STUART, BECAUSE IT WAS VERY
STRONG GOING INTO THE UKRAINIAN
WAR, THEY HAD A JOINT STATEMENT,
THE TWO COUNTRIES SIGNED AND IN
THE BEGINNING OF THE OLYMPICS
PLEDGING ETERNAL FRIENDSHIP AND
NO LIMITS TO THEIR LEVEL OF
COOPERATION, AND THEN THE WAR IN
UKRAINE GOT BOGGED DOWN, AND AT
THAT POINT THE CHINESE WERE KIND
OF AMBIGUOUS.
THEY DIDN’T REALLY CRITICIZE
RUSSIA, BUT THEY DIDN’T COME OUT
IN FULL SUPPORT OF RUSSIA.
NOW AFTER PRESIDENT BIDEN’S
PHONE CALL WITH THE CHINESE
PRESIDENT, THE TWO STATEMENTS
THAT YOU JUST SHOWN, THE CHINESE
, I THINK, HAVE
DECIDED THEY ARE GOING ALL THE
WAY IN FOR RUSSIA.
WHY, BECAUSE THEY THINK RUSSIA
IS GOING TO WIN.
STUART: IF THEY GO ALL THE WAY
IN WITH RUSSIA, AND WE STILL
DON’T HAVE THE TRANSCRIPT FROM
THAT PHONE CALL THAT THE
PRESIDENT HAD LAST WEEK, SO
WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE
CONSEQUENCES BE IF THE
PRESIDENT SPELLED OUT THOSE
CONSEQUENCES, BUT LOOK.
IF CHINESE REALLY DO HELP THE
RUSSIANS, AND WE FIND OUT
ABOUT IT, WE’RE SUPPOSED TO
SANCTION CHINA.
YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN?
YOU SANCTION CHINA ON TRADE OR
FINANCE, AND EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE
, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE.
DO YOU THINK WE’RE PREPARED TO
SANCTION CHINA?
>> I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT
PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID OTHER THAN
TO THREATEN THERE WILL BE SEVERE
CONSEQUENCES BUT IF THAT’S A
SEVERE CONSEQUENCE THAT DOESN’T
HELP ANYBODY.
I’VE GOT TO ASSUME THAT AT ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT PRESIDENT XI
AND PRESIDENT PUTIN TALKED ABOUT
AT THE OLYMPICS WAS WELL WHAT
HAPPENS IF YOU CAN’T SELL YOUR
OIL TO THE WEST, VLADIMIR PUTIN?
AND THE CHINESE WOULD HAVE
STEPPED UP AND SAID WE’LL TAKE
IT.
WE’LL TAKE IT AT ROCK BOTTOM
PRICES AND GET BARGAIN BASEMENT
PRICES WE CAN USE ALL YOUR
ENERGY, SO AGAIN, I WORRY THAT
WHEN COUNTRIES AND LEADERS MAKE
THREATS THAT THEY HAVE NO IDEA
HOW THEY ARE GOING TO CARRY OUT
BECAUSE THEY JUST ASSUME
EVERYBODY WILL BACK DOWN.
DON’T ASSUME THAT.
THE UNITED STATES IS IN A
DIFFERENT POSITION AND THE
CHINESE ARE CONVINCED THAT
THEY ARE GOING TO DOMINATE THE
21ST CENTURY WITH THEIR PALS
, RUSSIA, AND THAT UNITED
STATES IS A DECLINING POWER.
STUART: U.S. ADMIRAL SAYS THAT
CHINA HAS NOW FULLY MILITARIZED
THOSE THREE MANMADE ISLANDS IN
THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, CHINA HAD
PREVIOUSLY PROMISED NOT TO
MILITARIZE THEM.
HOW SHOULD OUR MILITARY RESPOND
TO WHAT JUST WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL LET’S
POINT OUT WHAT THE PLEDGE THE
CHINESE MADE WAS.
THEY PROMISED TO PRESIDENT BIDEN
, I MEAN, PRESIDENT OBAMA
WHEN BIDEN WAS VICE PRESIDENT,
WE’RE JUST GOING TO BUILD-OUT
THESE ISLANDS BECAUSE FISHING
VESSELS MAY NEED TO HAVE SOME
HELP.
WE’RE NEVER GOING TO MILITARIZE
THEM.
WELL HERE WE ARE A DECADE LATER
THEY ARE MILITARIZED.
WHAT SHOULD THE UNITED STATES
RESPONSE BE?
WE’VE GOT TO DO A COUPLE OF
THINGS, STUART.
NUMBER ONE INCREASE THE DEFENSE
BUDGET, PARTICULARLY THE NAVAL
BUDGET, NUMBER TWO GO ALL IN FOR
HIGH TECHNOLOGY.
WE’VE NOT DONE THAT.
WE COULD GO ALL IN FOR HIGH
TECHNOLOGY, AND THEN FINALLY
STAND UP TO THESE GUYS.
USE THE WEAPONS WE HAVE.
THE GENIUS OF DONALD TRUMP WAS
WHEN HE WAS PRESIDENT, HE DIDN’T
JUST TALK ABOUT AMERICAN ENERGY
INDEPENDENCE.
HE TALKED ABOUT AMERICAN ENERGY
DOMINANCE.
NOW WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
BECAUSE THEN IF OUR COMPANIES
CAN PRODUCE MORE OIL AND NATURAL
GAS, THEY CAN SET THE
INTERNATIONAL PRICE OF OIL
AND NATURAL GAS.
THE RUSSIANS NEED IT HIGH,
IRANIANS NEED IT HIGH.
WHY?
BECAUSE THEIR GOVERNMENT, THEIR
COMPANIES ARE STATE CONTROLLED
AND THAT PAYS FOR EVERYTHING
ELSE.
IN AMERICA OUR COMPANIES ARE
INDEPENDENT, WE MAKE A PROFIT AT
$40 A BARREL.
THEY NEED IT WELL-ABOVE 80.
STUART: PRESIDENT TRUMP IS GOING
TO BE ON THIS PROGRAM IN ABOUT
EIGHT OR NINE MINUTES.
WHAT QUESTION DO YOU THINK I
SHOULD ASK HIM, WHAT QUESTION
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK HIM?
>> [LAUGHTER]
WELL, I WOULD ASK HIM WHAT WOULD
HE DO?
NOW IF HE WERE ALL OF A SUDDEN
YOU KNOW WHEN HE WAS PRESIDENT,
HE WAS SITTING IN THE OVAL
OFFICE AND TELL ME AND OTHERS
WHAT A MESS I INHERITED.
EVERYTHING IS ALL SCREWED UP,
AND HE TURNED IT ALL AROUND VERY
QUICKLY HE TURNED AROUND THE
AMERICAN ECONOMY, TURNED
AROUND AMERICAN NATIONAL
SECURITY, GOT US TO ENERGY
INDEPENDENCE, HE GOT A PEACE
AGREEMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST BUT
IF HE WERE PLOPPED IN THE OVAL
OFFICE TODAY HOW WOULD HE FIX
THINGS?
HOW WOULD HE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP
WITH CHINA OR NOT?
WHAT WOULD HE DO WITH VLADIMIR
PUTIN?
WHAT WOULD HE DO WITH AMERICAN
ENERGY?
HOW WOULD HE GET US OUT OF THIS
MESS?
STUART: THAT’S A PRETTY GOOD
QUESTION AND I INTEND TO ASK IT.
ALWAYS EXACTLY THE WAY YOU SAID