THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT
PEACEFULLY.
MARIA: WELL, THE U.S. EMBASSY
IN CHINA CALLING ON U.S.
CITIZENS THERE TO KEEP A 14 DAY
SUPPLY OF MEDICATION, WATER,
FOOD AS WELL, SIGNALING AN
INTENSIFYING OF THE LOCKDOWNS.
JOINING ME NOW IS FOX NEWS
SENIOR STRATEGIC ANALYST AND
CHAIRMAN FOR THE INSTITUTE OF
THE STUDY OF WAR, GENERAL JACK
KEANE IS HERE.
GENERAL, GREAT TO SEE YOU THIS
MORNING.
SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC I WANT
TO GET YOUR TAKE ON, THESE
PROTESTERS IN CHINA.
THIS UPRISING OF THE PEOPLE.
HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THIS MOVE?
IS IT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO
ACTUALLY QUESTION THE VIABILITY
OF XI JINPING’S CONTINUED GRIP
ON POWER?
>> WELL, I DON’T THINK WE’RE
THERE YET BUT THIS IS THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE THAT
PRESIDENT XI HAS FACED
INTERNALLY FOR SURE AND MARIA,
THIS IS LARGELY A CRISIS OF XI’S CREATION.
I MEAN, IT’S HIS UNCOMMON PRO UN
UNCOMPROMISING ZERO COVID
STANDARD THAT HE’S IMPOSED ON
THE ENTIRE POPULATION.
IT’S A FUNCTION OF THE CULT OF
HIS PERSONALITY HERE.
REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID FROM THE
BEGINNING WHEN HE SHUT DOWN
WUHAN CITY BACK IN 2019, HE
BELIEVED THAT HIS AUTHORITARIAN
REGIME COULD BETTER HANDLE A
CRISIS LIKE A PANDEMIC THAN
DEMOCRACIES AND HE KEPT POINTING
AT THE UNITED STATES AS AN
EXAMPLE OF HOW NOT TO DO IT
BECAUSE OF THE RISE IN DEATHS IN
THE UNITED STATES AND NOT A
COMMENSURATE RISE IN DEATHS IN
CHINA.
AND WHAT HE HAS DONE TO HIMSELF,
HE’S REALLY REALLY BOXED HIMSELF
MARIA, BECAUSE HE LOCKED THE
PEOPLE DOWN AND AT THE SAME TIME
HE HASN’T DEVELOPED VACCINATIONS
THAT ARE EFFECTIVE IN HIS OWN
COUNTRY AND HE REJECTED THE
WESTERN VACCINATIONS,
PARTICULARLY THE MRNA ORIENTED
VACCINATIONS THAT HAVE PROVEN TO
HAVE SUCH A POSITIVE IMPACT ON
DEVELOPING IMMUNITY FOR PEOPLE.
AND THIS IS STAGGERING AND HE
ALSO HASN’T IMPROVED IN THREE
YEARS HIS PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM
SO HE’S BOXED HIMSELF IN THE
SENSE THAT IF HE LOOSENS THIS UP
AS HE TRIED TO DO IN NOVEMBER
AND GOT PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS
RISEN BECAUSE OF THAT AND THEN
AS THE COVID BEGAN TO SPREAD, HE LOCKED IT BACK DOWN AND WITH THE
LOCKED IT BACK DOWN AND WITH THE
FIRE IN U MCHI AND THAT POLICY,
THAT’S WHAT TRIGGERED THIS
THING.
IF HE OPENS IT UP AGAIN, THE
PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM CAN’T
SUPPORT IT, THE VACCINATION
PROGRAM WON’T BE EFFECTIVE TO
DEAL WITH THE PEOPLE AND WE KNOW
HE’S CRUSHING HIS ECONOMY.
HE’S GOT A MAJOR PROBLEM ON HIS
HANDS.
WHETHER IT COMES TO A CRISIS
WHERE HIS REGIME IS BEING
CHALLENGED, TIME WILL ONLY TELL.
MARIA: WELL, THE FACT THAT THEY
ARE NOT IMPORTING THE MRNA
VACCINE FROM THE WEST, I MEAN,
YOU KNOW, RAISES THE QUESTION,
IS THIS ALL ABOUT POWER?
IS THIS ALL ABOUT THROWING THE
RULES DOWN THE WAY THAT THEY
THREW THE RULE DOWN IN HONG KONG
AND STARTED THROWING ALL THE
FREEDOM FIGHTERS IN JAIL.
BECAUSE I MEAN, WHY NOT GET THE
VACCINES TO ACTUALLY CREATE A
HEALTHY POPULATION, GENERAL?
I MEAN, LOOK AT WHAT’S GOING ON
IN HONG KONG RIGHT NOW.
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF HONG KONG
SAYING HE’S GOING TO ASK CHINA
AND THE CCP TO INTERVENE AFTER
THE CITY’S TOP COURT REJECTED A
GOVERNMENT BID TO STOP A U.K.
LAWYER FROM REPRESENTING APPLE
DAILY FOUNDER JIMMY LIE.
LEIGH.
-- JIMMY LAI.
THE TRIAL IS EXPECTED TO START
ON THURSDAY.
THEY WANT TO STOP THE LAWYER
FROM THE U.K. FROM REPRESENTING
HIM AND NOW HONG KONG’S CEO
WANTS THE GOVERNMENT TO
INTERVENE. HOW DOES THIS PLAY OUT?
HOW DOES THIS PLAY OUT?
>> WELL, TWO COURTS IN HONG KONG
RECOGNIZE THAT JIMMY LAI HAS A
RIGHT TO A LAWYER AND A RIGHT TO
A BRITISH LAWYER IF HE SO
DESIRES.
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN BED
WITH CHINA, A REFLECTION OF
CHINA ITSELF, HAS AMEALED TO --
CHINA TO MAKE THE DECISION.
YOU KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS
GOING TO BE.
THEY LIKELY WILL REJECT THE USE
OF A BRITISH LAWYER, IN FULL
DISCLOSURE TO OUR VIEWERS, JIMMY
LAI IS A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE AND
I’M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HIS
WELFARE HERE AND HE HAS STOOD UP
AND WHILE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
IN JAIL BY AND LARGE WITH HIM
HAVE PLED BILL AT THIS FOR
CHARGES -- PLED GUILTY FOR
CHARGES THEY’RE NOT GUILTY OF,
JIMMY LAI HAS PLED NOT GUILTY.
HE REFUSES TO LIE TO THE PEOPLE
IN HONG KONG, TO THE PEOPLE IN
CHINA, TO THE PEOPLE WORLDWIDE.
HE IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO TELL
THE TRUTH AND OBVIOUSLY HE MAY
PAY A SEVERE CONSEQUENCE FOR
THAT.
HE’S HE’S ONE OF THE BRAVEST
PEOPLE I’VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE,
YOU HOW HE HAS STOOD UP AGAINST
THIS CHINESE RE-L GEM.
-- REGIME.
HE’S A MAN OF IMMENSE
INDEPENDENT WEALTH AND HE HAD
HUGE CHOICES.
HE’S IN JAIL BECAUSE HE SAID I
HAVE CHOICES BUT MOST OF THE
PEOPLE HERE DON’T HAVE CHOICES
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, I’M
GOING TO STAND WITH THEM.
MARIA: A MAN OF INTEGRITY.
S HE’S BEEN ON THIS PROGRAM.
A FRIEND OF THIS PROGRAM.
THE REASON I BRING HIM UP SO
MUCH IS BECAUSE WE’RE TRYING TO
CHERISH AND PRAISE HIS LEGACY.
WE KNOW WHAT HE’S DONE.
I MEAN, LOOK AT WHAT THE
PRESSURE THAT HAS DEVELOPED IN
CHINA, YOU’VE GOT THE PROTESTERS
ON THE GROUND.
YOU’VE GOT PEOPLE ACROSS THE
WORLD UNDERSTANDING THE CCP’S
HAND AND HOW THEY JUST THROW
THEIR LAW DOWN.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON
WHETHER OR NOT THE FREE WORLD IS
GOING TO CONFRONT THIS AND, YOU
KNOW, LOOK, YESTERDAY JOHN KIRBY
WAS ASKED A QUESTION BY PETER
DOOCY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GIVING US
A STATEMENT ON THE PEOPLE OF
CHINA AND THEY SAID THAT THEY
THINK THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO
PROTEST PEACEFULLY BUT REALLY
WHERE IS THE SUPPORT FOR THE
PEOPLE?
THERE WASN’T ANY SUPPORT FOR THE
PEOPLE OF IRAN, OKAY.
THE COURAGEOUS WOMEN WHO TOOK TO
THE STREET, CONTINUE TO DO SO
TODAY.
ARE WE REALLY SUPPORTING THE
PEOPLE OF CHINA?
IS THIS ADMINISTRATION GOING TO
DO ANYTHING MORE TO PUSH BACK ON
AUTHORITARIANISM AND
TOTALITARIANISM?
>> IT’S STAGGERING BECAUSE THIS
ADMINISTRATION CAME IN AND FELT
THAT THE UNITED STATES FOREIGN
POLICY UNDER PREVIOUS LEADERSHIP
GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO
PRESIDENT BUSH WAS TOO MUSCULAR
IN TERMS OF USING MILITARY POWER
AND WHAT WE HAD TO DO IS USE
DIPLOMACY TO ACCOMPLISH OUR
OBJECTIVES AND OF COURSE
EVERYBODY AGREES WITH THAT.
WHEN DIPLOMACY FAILS, AT TIMES
YOU HAVE TO USE FORCE TO
ACCOMPLISH YOUR OBJECTIVES BUT
THE REALITY IS, THIS IS
DIPLOMACY AND NOT TO ANSWER THE
CLARION CALL OF THE IRANIAN
PEOPLE WHO ARE TWO MONTHS PLUS
INTO THIS DEMONSTRATION, THE
GREATEST THREAT TO THEIR REGIME
IS TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW AND
POSSIBLY THE SAME IS UNFOLDING
IN CHINA AND UNITED STATES
SHOULD NOT ONLY HAVE A LOUD
VOICE HERE BUT WE SHOULD
ORGANIZE THE DEMOCRATIC
COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD TO SPEAK
UP AND SUPPORT THE PEOPLE THAT
ARE FIGHTING THESE AUTHORITARIAN
REGIMES AN RISKING THEIR LIVES
TO DO IT.
I MEAN, SO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND, CHINA’S INTERNAL
SECURITY APPARATUS, THEY SPEND
MORE MONEY ON THAT THAN THEY DO
ON DEFENSE, ON THEIR OWN
MILITARY.
THEY HAVE A PEOPLES’ PEOPLE’S AR
POLICE THAT NUMBERS OF 700,000
THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE
MILITARY, IT EXISTS JUST TO
CONTROL THE POPULATION,
SOMETHING THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER
AFTER TIANANMEN SQUARE.
THEY HAVE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
OF AI-ENABLED CAMERAS THAT GO
ACROSS THE SWATH OF THE COUNTRY.
THEY SURVEIL ON A REGULAR BASIS,
USING HUMAN AND ALGORITHMIC
SENSORS, ALL THE APPS THAT
PEOPLE ARE USING TO COMMUNICATE,
TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, TO
MAKE PURCHASESES AND UNDER THE
COVID RESTRICTION CODES THEY
HAVE, YOU HAVE TO CHECK YOUR
PHONE TO SEE IF IT’S RED OR
GREEN TO GO TO A GROCERY, TO USE
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
MARIA: UNBELIEVABLE.
>> EVEN TO USE A PUBLIC
BATHROOM.
THIS IS THE CONTROL THAT THEY
HAVE.
WHEN THE PEOPLE ARE ON THE
STREETS FIGHTING, I THINK IT’S
LARGER THAN THE COVID
RESTRICTIONS.
THEY’RE FIGHTING FOR HUMAN
DIGNITY.
THEY’RE ALSO FIGHTING FOR
PERSONAL FREEDOM.
AND THAT’S REALLY WHAT IS TAKING
PLACE HERE.
MARIA: THAT’S RIGHT.
AND WHICH IS WHY I’M FULLY
EXPECTING THE CCP TO COME BACK
AND GO TO THE HOMES OF ALL OF
THOSE PEOPLE, THEY’VE GOT THEM
ON SURVEILLANCE CAMERA, THEY’RE
GOING TO FOLLOW UP AND PUNISH
ANYBODY WHO IS IN THE STREETS.
WE’RE GOING TO BE WATCHING
WHETHER OR NOT THE
ADMINISTRATION THEN SPEAKS UP,
IF IN FACT THAT TAKES PLACE AS
WELL.
GENERAL, WE HOPE THAT WE’LL BE
TALKING WITH YOU ALONG THE WAY
AS WELL.