EXPERIENCE IN LONG.
CHERYL:LONDON.CHERYL: I THINK I
LANGUAGE BARRIER.
MARIA: CHINAS’ DEFENSE MINISTER
KICKING OFF A FOUR DAY TRIP TO
RUSSIA, MEETING WITH THE
PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, THAT
STARTING IN MOSCOW YESTERDAY
WITH THE MEETING.
THE TWO HAILING THEIR COUNTRY’S
MILITARY COOPERATION LESS THAN A
MONTH AFTER CHINESE LEADER XI
JINPING AND PUTIN PLEDGED TO
DEEPEN MILITARY MUTUAL TRUST.
JOINING ME NOW IS THE GATESTONE
INSTITUTE SENIOR FELLOW, GORDON
CHANG IS BACK WITH US.
GORDON, GREAT TO SEE YOU.
WE HAVE SO MUCH TO GET INTO THIS
MORNING BECAUSE I SPOKE WITH THE
HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHAIRMAN
MICHAEL McCALL YESTERDAY ON
SUNDAY MORNING FUTURES, DISCUSSING THE POTENTIAL FOR
DISCUSSING THE POTENTIAL FOR
CHINA TO INVADE THAI INVADE TAIW
HOW THREATENING IS THE NEW
FORMED PARTNERSHIP OR NEW
STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIP WITH
RUSSIA?
>> WELL, THIS REALLY IS A CHANGE
IN THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM.
IT’S A NEW COLD WAR.
AND YOU HAVE THE AXIS THAT IS
FORMING AROUND CHINA AND RUSSIA
AND INCLUDES THEIR PROXIES LIKE
IRAN, NORTH KOREA, IRAN, ALGERIA
AND A REALLY THIS IS A
MONUMENTAL CHANGE AND THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION UNFORTUNATELY
DOES NOT WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT
WE ARE IN THIS COMPETITION.
MARIA: SO MICHAEL McCALL,
CHAIRMAN OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE, LED THE GOP FOREIGN
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE TO HIS TRIP TO
TAIWAN LAST WEEK AND WHILE THEY
WERE THERE ON THE GROUND IN THE
ISLAND NATION, GORE N GORDON, TH
SURROUNDED.
THEY HAD CHINESE FIGHTER JETS IN
THE AIR, 71 FIGHTER JETS.
THEY HAD AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER.
IT WAS -- THEY HAD 10 SHIPS
AROUND THEM.
AND THEY HAD THEIR MEETINGS AND
DISCUSSED TAIWAN’S READINESS AND
MICHAEL McCALL SAID THEY HAVE
A WAYS TO GO, THAT THEY’RE NOT
READY SHOULD WE SEE AN INVASION
FROM CHINA INTO TAIWAN.
AND THEY’RE STILL WAITING ON ALL
THIS ARMAMENT, THE WEAPONRY THAT
MICHAEL McCALL APPROVED THREE
TO FIVE YEARS AGO.
HERE’S WHAT HE TOLD ME
YESTERDAY.
WATCH.
ARE THEY READY AT THIS POINT?
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
READINESS, PUTTING THOSE
WEAPONRY ASIDE?
>> THE THEY HAVE A WAY TOSS GO.
I SIGNED OFF ON A 22 WEAPON
SYSTEMS MARIA THREE YEARS AGO.
SOME AS LONG AS FIVE YEARS AGO.
THAT HAVE YET TO GO INTO TAIWAN.
THEY’VE ACTUALLY PAID FOR THESE
WEAPONS.
SO WHEN I MEET PRESIDENT SAI,
HER FIRST QUESTION IS WHEN AM I
GOING TO GET MY WEAPONS?
AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
BECAUSE 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 ON THE GROUND IN
TAIWAN, REST ASSURED CHAIRMAN XI
WILL MAKE THEY THAT CALCULATION.
MARIA: GORDON, MICHAEL McCALL
SAID THAT HE WOULD EXPECT THE
CCP TO TRY TO INFILTRATE AND GET
INVOLVED IN THE ELECTION IN
TAIWAN WHICH OF COURSE AS YOU
KNOW IS HAPPENING IN JANUARY OF
NEXT YEAR.
AND IF THAT FAILS AND THEY DON’T
GET THEIR CANDIDATE TO WIN, THE
TAIWANESE ELECTION, THEN THEY’LL
GO TO PLAN B AND THEY’LL DO A
CYBER WAR, THEY WILL SHUT DOWN
THE ISLAND.
THEY WILL SURROUND IT WITH A
BLOCKADE AND HE’S TALKING ABOUT
GETTING STAR LINK SYSTEM, ISR,
ON THE GROUND IN TAIWAN SO THAT
TAIWAN CAN HAVE EYES AND EARS IN
THE BACKYARD CHINA.
HOW SIGNIFICANT DO YOU SEE ALL
OF THIS AND WHEN DO YOU EXPECT
OR IF CHINA GOES INTO TAIWAN?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, CHINA IS
PREPARING AND A MAKING FAST
PREPARATIONS TO GO TO WAR AND
IT’S NOT JUST BUILDING UP ITS
MILITARY, ALSO MOBILIZING
CIVILIANS.
THERE HAS BEEN LOW LEVEL
ACTIVITY SUCH AS CHINA CYBER
ATTACKS ON TAIWAN, THEY GO ON
ALL THE TIME.
CHINA’S BEEN INFLUENCING
TAIWANESE POLITICS FROM THE
GET-GO AND THEY’RE GOING TO
CERTAINLY RAMP THAT UP.
THEY PROBABLY AREN’T GOING TO
WIN IN 2024 AND LARGELY BECAUSE
THE KMT WHICH IS THE PRO-CHINA
PARTY, IS VERY MUCH BEHIND THE
BALL.
IN TAIWAN, PEOPLE CONSIDER
THEMSELVES TO BE TAIWANESE, NOT
CHINESE.
AND THIS IS GOING TO BE THE
CENTRAL ISSUE IN THE CAMPAIGN.
SO I THINK CHINA IS NOT GOING TO
GET THE CANDIDATE IT WANTS IN
THE ELECTION.
THAT MEANS IT’S GOING TO RAMP UP
THE ACTIVITY AND TAIWAN IS NOT
PREPARED.
MARIA: YEAH.
AND THEN THEY SANCTIONED MIKE
McCALL WHEN HE CAME BACK FROM
HIS TRIP, SAYING THAT HE CREATED
A SERIOUS VIOLATION OF CHINA’S
SOVEREIGNTY BY GOING AND MEETING
WITH THE OFFICIALS IN TAIWAN.
THEN CHINA THEN CONDEMNED THE
UNITED STATES, THEY’RE DOING
THAT THIS MORNING, FOR THE U.S.
IMPOSING SANCTIONS OVER FENTANYL
TRADE.
THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT
ANNOUNCED THEY WERE SANCTIONING
TWO COMPANIES BASED IN CHINA AND
FOUR CHINESE NATIONALS, THEY DID
THIS ON FRIDAY, ACCUSING THEM OF
SUPPLYING THE PRECURSOR
CHEMICALS TO DRUG CAR HE’LL THE
IN MENTION -- CARTELS IN MEXICO
FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FENTANYL
AND WE KNOW THAT’S TRUE.
WE HEARD THIS FROM TWO
ADMINISTRATIONS, FROM THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION AND THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
MERRICK GARLAND TOLD US ALL
ABOUT IT LAST WEEK THAT ALL OF
THESE CHEMICALS ARE MADE IN
CHINA.
CHINA’S PUSHING THIS FENTANYL
TRADE INTO MEXICO AND INTO THE
UNITED STATES.
WHAT’S THE GOAL HERE?
>> WELL, THE GOAL IS TO KILL
AMERICANS AND THEY’RE VERY
SUCCESSFUL AT IT BECAUSE WHEN WE
GET THE NUMBERS FOR LAST YEAR
WE’LL FIND THAT ABOUT 80,000 OR
MORE AMERICANS HAVE DIED FROM
DOSES OF ILLEGAL CHINESE
FENTANYL AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO
IS NOT JUST SANCTION CRIMINALS.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS SANCTION
THE COMMUNIST PARTY AND CHINESE
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE CHINA
RUNS A NEAR TOTAL SURVEILLANCE
STATE.
THEY KNOW WHAT THESE FENTANYL
GANGS ARE DOING AND THEY APPROVE
OF THEM.
ALSO, CHINESE DIPLOMATS HAVE
BEEN IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE
GANGS INCLUDING ACTIONS WE SAW
IN THE FIRST WEEK OF THIS MONTH.
AND ALSO THESE FENTANYL GANGS
LAUNDER THEIR PROCEEDS FOR THE
CHINESE STATE BANKING SYSTEM SO
WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS
IS NOT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AS WE
KNOW THAT TERM.
THIS IS REALLY A STATE ACTIVITY
AND THE CHINESE COME FIFTH COMMU
IS BEHIND IT AND WE NEED TO
SANCTION CHINA L.
UNTIL WE DO THAT, WIRE NOT WE’RE
GOING TO MAKE PROGRESS ON
FENTANYL AT ALL.
MARIA: MEANWHILE THEY HAVE THE
MOST FAVORED NATION STATUS ON
TRADE AND WE HAVE A MASSIVE
DEFICIT WITH THE CCP.
LIZ PEEK, JUMP IN HERE.
>> THE FINANCIAL A TIMES THIS
MORNING HAS A FRONT PAGE ARTICLE
ABOUT CHINA HAVING $80 BILLION
OF THEIR BELT AND ROAD DEBTS
BASICALLY GOING BAD AND A THIS
IS JUST PART OF CHINA’S ENORMOUS
DEBT PROBLEM.
IT SEEMS TO ME CHINA ALWAYS GOES
-- SORT OF TAKES A MILITARY TACT
OR LOOKS FOR AN ENEMY OUTSIDE
THE COUNTRY WHEN THE ECONOMY
ISN’T DOING WELL.
I’VE BEEN SURPRISED THE ECONOMY
HAS NOT BOUNCED BACK FROM THE
CLOSEDOWNS OF COVID AS RAPIDLY
AS EXPECTED.
HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THAT?
I MEAN, DO YOU THINK THERE IS A
TIE BETWEEN THEIR ECONOMIC
WELL-BEING AND WHAT THEY MIGHT
WANT TO DO MILITARILY?
>> WELL, CERTAINLY, LIZ.
AND THE REASON IS THAT CHINA’S
ECONOMY ACTUALLY IN THE JANUARY,
PERIOD CONTRACTED.
THERE WAS A SLIGHT RECOVERY IN
MARCH.
THE RECOVERY AS YOU POINT OUT
HAS BEEN AYOU KNEE MICK.
CHINA’S -- ANEMIC.
THIS CAN BE TRACED TO XI
JINPING’S POLICIES.
HE HAS NO ANSWER FOR THEM.
WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE HE DOESN’T
TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THAT
CONCERN CHINESE PEOPLE LIKE
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND PLUNGING
PROPERTY PRICES.
THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THIS IS AS
YOU SUGGEST, HE’S GOT TO FIND AN
ENEMY AND THAT IS DEFINITELY THE
UNITED STATES AND HE HAS GOT TO
I THINK TRY TO HUMILIATE US OR
GO TO WAR WITH ONE OF HIS
NEIGHBORS BECAUSE HE OBVIOUSLY
DOESN’T HAVE ANY DOMESTIC
ANSWERS.
MARIA: YEAH.
BUT GORDON, THEY ARE CONTINUING
TO TRY TO BEAT AMERICA ON SO
MANY LEVELS.
PARTICULARLY ON TECHNOLOGY.
YOU SAY THE ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE THREAT TO HUMANITY
WILL BECOME FAR GREATER IF CHINA
MASTERS IT BEFORE THE UNITED
STATES DOES.
>> A.I. IS A TRANSFORMATIVE
TECHNOLOGY.
AND WHOEVER HAS THE BEST A.I. IS
GOING TO HAVE THE STRONGEST
ECONOMY WHICH MEANS THEY’RE
GOING TO HAVE THE BEST MILITARY.
THIS GOES ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE CANNOT ALLOW
CHINA TO DO THAT.
CHINA HAS A BUILT-IN ADVANTAGE
BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TAKING
DATA FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND
THE MORE DATA YOU PUT INTO AN
A.I. SYSTEM, THE BETTER IT IS.
SO OUR TECHNOLOGY HAS TO BE FAR
BETTER THAN THEIRS TO MAKE UP
FOR THAT DISADVANTAGE.
MARIA: ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL LEAVE IT THERE.