The Senator and Michael discuss the concrete steps being taken to make China pay for its misdeeds and to prevent further problems in the future.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
For decades, politicians in the United States on both sides of the Isle
cheered along as China has grown in prominence now as
exerting more and more influence over our economy over Hollywood over our universities. Amid a
global pandemic that they unleashed. We are beginning to ask how to fight back. This is Verde
with TAT crews senator before we give him
Everything today Hollywood, the economy, the media I have to ask you is
John alive or dead.
Who the hell knows: Adele
I've seen media reports on both sides for all. I know their proper him up like we can at burning at about the same as the Democrats are doing with job. I been struck
I guess I get asked the same question about the presumptive democratic nominee for President Senator. You have said that we need to
and mentally change. Our relationship with China, you have been
leading the fight in the U S Senate from what I can see on this specifically. How,
are we going to push back against a China that now seems to exert massive influence on our country.
Yeah they, the most significant change that I think is going to come out of this pandemic is, is, I hope, a.
Fundamental. Reassessment of the United States is relationship with China and India,
relationship with John and have been saying for a long time. China
is the single most important, the most significant GEO political camp,
go to the United States for the next century. They got one point three billion people
governed by a communist government that lies that murders that tortures its citizens,
invest billions in their military billions in it
standing there, their economic influence and
and I think this pandemic really illustrates just how dangerous that repressive measures,
of lying, is I've been saying that a long time it's what's what's interesting now, a whole lot of other people are suddenly noticing a wait, a second they did this
chinese Communist or are not good guys right
and we are now seeing I mean I, I just read a report that there is a chinese per
began the radio station that is now broadcast
into the United States were allowing that to happen. I mean, as their legislation right now going on,
to try to have to stop some of these activities now that
Exactly right, it's it's the Phoenix TV station. You may remember this chinese reporter who was at the White House who asked the president a question and the president had the
though, the wherewithal to ask where you from you from China- and she says, Nano Hong Kong and an attorney
Well, yes, there there nominally Hong Kong, but but their owned and controlled by the chinese communist governed.
And and that same company, that's
Phoenix tv station set up a broadcast tv station in
Mexico right over the border, it's more power
fourth and any broadcast stations we have in the? U S and their broadcasting in
California, right now you ve got those waves, Centurion Caliph
go and throw you in chinese language, so the China,
government has control.
The contents on chinese language, radio throughout southern
California. I've got legislation to stop the
c c from allowing them to do that. They applied for enough
licence. I wrote a letter to the FCC Tillier
ago after asking the FCC to block them block the Chinese properly
that from coming in the SSC did so
so they agreed with me, but they got a life
On a provisional appeal, Dave appealed it and, during the appeal, their able to saturated the airwaves with propaganda.
We gotta, take these threats seriously and- and I think, what's going
on. Right now illustrates why, well I hope that that
Bill becomes law and I hope that that actually goes into force because the problem senator here in southern California, it's a lot worse than just the Phoenix Tv Station broadcasting one thing: I've,
This living right here in Hollywood is that China basically owns Hollywood. At this point, there is yes such a financial,
hi between are our media apparatus, entertainment and, I suppose news media and the chinese government. Is there any way to break that apart or the ties just too deep at this point,
So Hollywood is, it is almost entirely bought and paid for by China. It such a big,
pardon you're, making a movie. You don't want to tick off China, because it's too
a part of your global revenues, an end so the great free
beach warriors of Hollywood are perfectly happy to let China added out.
Portions of of their movie. That, unlike you, don't you
bohemian rhapsody, wonderful, wonderful by optic, Freddy Mercury, primitive antagonistic portrayal when they release
didn't China. They edited out anything to illustrate that Friday. Mercury was gay like
What the hell are you talking about? It's Friday, Mercury's life story, yeah the guy's gay any having, but but you know what Hollywood was perfectly fine to say just erase it. We are the
I need a communist government. This does not exist.
And Hollywood went along with its dangers. Give another example top gun the sequel to top gun. It is coming out expect
later this year, top gun the original may be
greatest Navy recruiting film that ever came out also is pretty pretty awesome for
volleyball in terms of the numbers. After that so maverick the jacket that Maverick where's
on the back of it, it has the Taiwan flag and then the japanese flag, the new top gun they additives
because they didn't want to piss off the Chinese,
overlord, and God knows, if you acknowledge Taiwan's there or even Japan, and what the hell does it say, Michael that maverick is terror
by the chinese communist I mean this is garbage agenda.
And Hollywood kowtowing is wrong. I also introduce legislation, actually just this week called the script act that
says if any Hollywood produce.
Or of any movie maker lets the chinese Communist government censor
added a film that they
can have access to our military to our ships to our plane.
Everything that used to film movies, like top
They don't get access to that. If,
gonna hand over the censorship power to the child,
communist govern see this I'm so pleased to hear
because this seems like a proper use of government when you ve got another foreign hostile government exerting
Huge amount of influence on your own country, then its incumbent on us to try to push back again
that's I'm glad that there are actually some concrete steps that are being taken here too
back on China. I know that you sat down again with our friends
or fraud. You know we had him on the show, and then you spoke with him separately and- and he spoke about some other concrete ways.
That then we can push back on China, specifically as it relates to a while way. The chinese check technology
diet, which is building a lot of telecommunications of software.
In hardware out there. Let's just play quick clip of Nigel
speaking on this, and I want to get your reaction for how relates to the? U S
yesterday when you- and I were talking about this a couple of months back
criticism of China
kind of a bit of a minority sport, because the establishments had all across the EU
had accepted China and seen China as being an opera.
Unity as a threat and is now a completely different
station going on. I have a feeling, I hope at least
when Boris Jones is back at his desk.
He will realise that public opinion is deeply unhappy with the role that China has played
in this kind of ours crisis from that.
Beginning and I think we ve now go
very good chance, a very good chance on all done chance,
in that decision reversed, and I hope so because it was doing here
damage to our relationship with Australia, our relationship with Japan,
our relationship with IRAN,
America. All the implications that has for NATO for trade for everything else, and so I am now.
To think that,
This changed, and I think we can, I think, this disease
can be reversed,
their Nigel and I were following up or down what you and I he discussed a couple of months ago, which was he told the story Abrek set, which was fabulous on this podcast. But we were also talking in particular about the UK
in its decision to allow waterway the giant telecom cut company. That's only can
old by the chinese communist government, and that is essentially a
global surveillance outfit, it's designed to help them monitor and survey? Oh your communications, my communications, the UK gum
Men announced plans to allow them to build some of their five g telecom infrastructure about thirty percent. They said it was just civilian, but the count,
quince of that is in building that hard, where they were giving the chinese communist government the ability to intercept communications and then the? U K as part of what's called the fight
buys intelligence. Sir sharing networks, which which are five
close allies that America we share our intelligence with them. We share our most sensitive intelligence with them in the problem. Is
we're sharing that intelligence with them and their building, while while way equipment the odds,
I'm very high that the chinese communist government can intercept that Intel it
and so what I said on this podcast with you and with Nigel, is
for eyes are better than six. In other words, if they're gonna set up infrastructure that lets
the chinese government intercept our intelligence. Maybe we'll have to exclude the Brits from that in time
in sharing, and they are among our closest allies on the face of the planet, while I'm on please
to say that since that discussion, one of the consequences of this
dammit. There been multiple reports now out of the. U K,
that the government may be shifted.
Its decision and not allowing waterway to build that infrastructure. I hope that's the case, because there are conflicting,
reports on this, but I hope not now.
It is right that there that that that they're gonna step back from from wall I will this is, I think, the key problem. This is what makes this whole issue of China so
Difficult is Weiwei goes out there and they say: hey will build you guys, telecoms equipment for tee
You know you will save you a lot of money. I mean China invest heavily in Hollywood, China by
as up a lot of our debt write. China's
that's a lot of cheap goods and services that we're all addicted to, and we like the money we like the cheap stuff
but now we're seeing that their there actually might be a hidden cost to all of that in
discussion with Nigel. I know you touched on the topic of this dependency
that comes along with globalism. Let's play that collect
Yet I think it was a really good chance of that happening, and I think there is a much broader debate now happening amongst british people about the fact we
become so reliant upon China. We reliant upon China to provide us with medical
when we reliant upon China for so many of the drugs that we take
a whole range of medical conditions and I were
things that comes out of all of this. Is we realise that the Globalism
It was a means of leaving each nation state unable to stand up for its own interests, all in the favor
of the blast, the Clinton, these kind of politicians, the big companies, some of the big banks that supported them,
I think what you gonna say is called cultural change. Coming after this horrible virus
That is these countries will say you know what we need a much bigger degree of self sufficiency, and I can see that debate happening in the british people
now to Senator is Nigel. Right is globalism on the ropes. Let look, I hope so
I hope our dependency on China is on on the ropes. You know, if you look at what China does, they employ a host of straw,
number one. They lie.
They lie at it in and they lie shamelessly repeatedly over and over again number two. They that
murder and torture. They got over one million of their own citizens, wiggers or religious minority in concentration camps right now being tortured. Number three
steel and an end in the scope of human history. We,
never seen a nation state with trillions of dollars of resources used intellectual property theft as a state strategy. They steal.
On a widespread level on a military level on a commercial level on an academic level, they see.
Sir an end, they also extort they use acts.
To their market there's a reason Hollywood's terrified of taking them off. There's a reason. The NBA is terrified of taking them off. There's a reason just about all of the fortune. Five hundred is terrified of taking them off, because
close off their market. Anyone who does an end,
Gotta say a lot of folk cept have been oblivious, I'm I'm I'm
I did of Winston Churchill Road rode up a very famous book. Why
England slept the talked about how the free world sat there. As Nazi Germany built up its military power
F K, as senior thesis at Harvard, was while England slapped he published a book
the same title laying out the case how the world, let's let this happen, what a whole lot of people
Amerika had been sleeping on
danger that China opposes, and yet a last fall last October
I did in Asia to where I went to Pearl harbor. Then I went to Japan.
And I went to Taiwan, India, on Hong Kong and in that
Design, Michael really as as a friends and allies. Tour of those are all countries surrounding China. Every
then the meetings and discussions. There were. What are we
about China. What do we do about the military threat? The diplomatic threat, the economic threat
Taiwan I was there on Taiwan's national day. Was the first? U S senator
B Int end Aunt
Taiwan on National day in thirty four years in power,
harbour, I met with our Pacific Command leadership there that were described
being how militarily one of the threats we face is that these
stolen, a lot of our military technology than the paper r and d because they steal it from us and
An end there there
Plumb, much of our technology against us, you know it
Hong Kong, I met with the protesters, the pro democracy protesters there,
you may remember. I did. Did a Sunday show up from Hong Kong right dressed in all black
in in solidarity with the protesters, the protesters dressed in bad blackened, something I've I've said many times is hung
is the new Berlin
stairs Berlin was the the outpost of freedom,
against the Soviet Union against communism. When, when Reagan said, Mr Gorbachev tear down
wall. Hong Kong is where we are seeing the touch points of this battle
yet china- and I hope that America,
are waking up. I do think first
long time. What, when I would lay out the harms of the chinese communist government and the need to fight against the need not to be dependent on China, you would get almost crickets and the Senate from both Democrats and
publicans meant that there was not a whole lot of support for that proposition.
They're lying there cover up on Korea
virus has now.
Can the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and an cost Chris
ends of dollars in poverty and suffering. I hope that really causes people to open their eyes to what
injuries. Will the analogy that your drawing here is to the cold war right and the cold war luckily was mostly cold, but there were a few more
once they are where it seemed to get pretty hot after all of this, after this pandemic, after China's repeated descent,
and after their aggression on some of our interests, do you think there's a chance that we could be headed for a direct confrontation. I hope not
course there's a chance. It is the number one cause,
Should when I was on the friends and allies tours. I talked with our allies about what you know what I mean,
Taiwan, I said, look what what? What would you do if, if China ships
and in famous landing on Taiwan I talked to in Japan about that. I talked in Pearl Harbor about that. The threat of military aggressiveness from China,
is enormous. You know there's another threat. The supply chain
one want thing. Nigel and I were talking about so much of the. U S. Supply chain has gone to choose
and in some ways and its more dangerous than the cold war.
We didn't have all our manufacturing based in the Soviet Union rights in this
Since not only as China Dangerous militarily, but you look at the pharmaceutical industry
China systematically laid out a strategy to to me
not belies the production of pharmaceuticals to go after american production. Put
in factories out of business. By the way you s, companies were more than happy to oblige.
To move pharmaceutical manufacture,
trying to China. So now we're depended on China for four antibiotics, for blood pressure, medicines for heart medicines,
or for Anti tags I and depression medicines.
They're, moving more and more into cancer medicines, and- and in the midst of this this this corona virus pandemic
one newspaper in china- that's that's all owned and controlled by the chinese communist government threaten to cut off
of life, saving medicines to the United States as a
weapons now in that instance, if they did that, that's not just economic war.
Fair, that's real water that is literally through
near the lives to kill Americans
and we have willingly happily
handed them that degree of power. We ve got to change that and make sure critical infrastructure is now
under the control of the chinese government, of course, and so,
sing. Action on that front. We're seeing action thanks to you on the Hollywood front and
the news media front. There is
area, though we're China's influence has gone.
Basically without any consequence, and now
be it a certain disreputable institution that I believe you received your law degree from America
All this university Harvard which
seems to be sucking up to the Chinese Communist Party. Dare you
defend your alma mater, it is
for I do not. I never liked to see a yalie be able to gloat, but but
You have reason the glowed, although your alma mater ain't, much better yet not. Sadly, most of the big academic institutions are a train wreck on this now, but, but you know, Harvard has been particularly
LE there's, an article came out just this week that I tweeted out from the harbor crimson from their own publication that details how,
Harvard how a senior official at Harvard LAW School Ass, a chinese dissident to cancel a speech at Harvard why
because the President of Harvard was in China meeting with President. She and they didn't want to offend. They didn't want to embarrass the chinese communist government. So so forget, academic freedom. Forget courage, forget standing for dissidents. They wanted to kiss up to the Big box of
I know- and I gotta say this article from the Harvard crimson I recommend reading it because it talks about how, for decades,
Harvard had greater leverage over China that China felt they needed more from Harvard than harboured needed from
because they wanted access to the university to the research.
We think there and it talks about how that balance of power is shifted and now Harvard
hence more on China, and it really is dangerous and an hour academic institutions
as a whole are so subject to espionage too
faculty members literally on payroll of the chinese communist government, there's been another, have been very active in pushing legislation trying to prevent S.
Knowledge and our universities, and and it's the self censorship. It's just
It's the same thing. The NBA. Did you? Don't want to piss off Daddy WAR Box, you don't want to piss off
that the market, whose whose billions of dollars your depended on that
is really really dangerous and and- and I think harboured is very
a canary in a coal mine here and there hall a whole lot
canaries in the end that chinese coma will. This is the whole equation right. If it's the case that you
we're getting more than China is getting if we're benefiting more than China is. If, if they need us more than we need them, then it seems like an ok situation and that's been the situation apparently for my whole lifetime. Basically now it seems that were at this tipping point
where are the relationship with China is no
longer working for us. So do you think on all of these fronts that were now at a point where we have to distance from China, or is there still a push
keep that tight relationship and keep cheering on rising China Luggage
I think there is a massive bush there is. There is enormous
money to be made in China, and big business remains all in that regard. Hollywood is terrified to take them off. Universities are terrified to take them off, but, but I do think so
I also introduce legislation last week that that is focused on the censorship regime in China. China has a comprehensive censorship regime
and we used to think about it in terms of human rights. So I've given multiple speeches in the Senate floor, highlighting dissidents in China at
As you know- and you know I have talked about this before I hate communist- my family was imprisoned and tortured by communists. I find nothing cute about the chinese communist. Their evil bastards communist are bad
I add that that is a simple proposition. The media and in the academy seems unable to understand. We used to think about their their censorship in terms of human rights,
We now understand it's not just human rights, its national security and its public health, because this corona virus pandemic, their censorship regime covered
up and they punished the whistle blowing doctors who try to draw attention to it if they had bathed like
any other responsible country if they'd send in doctors and public health professionals. There's a real
ass we could contain this is a regional outbreak and not had a worldwide pandemic, but because of their censorship, they care more about saving face about protect,
the image of the chinese communist government, then about saving hundred
thousands or even potentially mill
of lives, and in that so the ledge
should I introduced, would sanction every official in the communist government involved in censoring that public health information.
As a way of of starting to ensure real accountability for their responsibility. Here you know it's such common sense at some
the conservatives
always known about the world, and I guess a lot of other people forget it. There's no such thing
a free lunch. You know it's great to get. The chief
goods from China, its right to get their investments, it's great to have the cheap manufacturing, but the bill comes: do
I think, we're seeing the costs of that now centre before we go. We ve
get to some mailbag. Obviously, people still have a lot more
questions than answers when it comes to this whole shut down. So let's
go through here from Norman. Do you think governor should take their q.
From trumps federalism and subsidiary the things he said about the states deciding when they want to reopen delegated.
Authority. Therefore, over the corona virus, lockdown
to city mayors should we push these days,
since even more local. I look, I think that makes sense, Jane
lay speaking. I think the role of the federal government is what Trump has done, which is to lay out guidelines to lay out principles to bring,
the bear, the resources and the assets of the federal government. Things like CDC. That kind of expertise
is valuable in its valuable to provide to the states with a pandemic the risk
we need to engage in, has to be based on the facts on the ground,
tat, one of the things that drive me crazy about this crisis is so
Much of the reaction to the corona virus pandemic is politicized and an end. The
A people react depends upon whether you hate tramper, you love from an end, so that the people that hate
from that they only reaction. They seem to have as it is. They hate tromp an end, so everyone,
flock down. Everyone must stay home, shuddery thing down for ever and ever I can say, that's naughty
yeah, you know, hydroxide whore acquainting
Oh that I dont know if that works or not right, but
but you saw lefties who hate hate. The president's saying we gotta prohibited, prohibit any doktor prescribing because trumps at its good. Now let me be clear: on the flip side, both sides
doing. This are people who love tromp. I think, too,
many of them are too quick to say? Oh, it's, it's not real. It's all bogus
It's made up by low by the media. Every
needs to go back to work right now. What look I gotta say:
either. Those positions makes much sense to me. It's
aims, is the right position that makes sense, is be guided by the science protect public
That means in reopening it should very geographically listen what New York City and New Jersey are facing over half the deaths in America.
Have been in them in New York in New Jersey.
Nobody in their right, mind would say: new Yorkers should go back to work right now. That doesn't make any sense, but there are other parts of the country, the state of Texas, the governor of Texas, laid out guidelines
art reopening to start going back to restaurants and stores
Toby theatres with reduced capacity for social distancing. I think that makes
but even within Texas, it'll very
geographically. So a dense urban city like Houston or Dallas will be different. Then more so
firstly populated rural areas. So yes as much as possible, the
decisions ought to allow people to get back to work
get the economy moving, but do it based on the facts and science actually agree
of course, and look if the corona virus pandemic can teach people a lesson about federalism. I suppose every storm cloud has a silver lining, and you know also senator you
made this point about the media going back to work. I am perfectly happy with the main,
the media remaining shut down in perpetuity.
Never going back to work, but I guess I'll have to see that that turns out from
the ban. By the way, as an intersection of that, we have also seen the media acting as shillings for China. I one of the most stunning
example CNN put out as a story literally a story that came from the church
He's communist Party, the Chinese Communist Party, put out a propaganda story. Chinese military does better with corona virus, then american military,
and see it S. Just dutifully reported that oh, the Chinese,
cites has their military is doing better than ours. Well,
get your head out here. I'll be right
that's my reaction that my detail, reputation of their simply repeating propaganda stories from the chinese government's. You took the words out of it. You took the scream out of my mouth this question last from Libya,
who is from, I guess a twitter account because it's called the panda Tribune. I assume that's not somebody's name. Does TED crews think that Joe Biden will be the Democrats nominee by election day.
Probably, but I gotta say I think a lot of Democrats again
nervous. I may I mean he is your eye joked about wake. We get it burns, but it seems like he's
witness protection me where's, where's
older where's Biden in there they're just their terrified look. The Democrats are making a gamble that they
that the economy will collapse, that that more more people lose their jobs and that people will throw tromp out because they'll get mad at an end that gambling
work. That's that I worry about that risk. I don't want to see that happen and I worry about it, but I also think how to them
press that are really getting nervous. The Joe.
Doesn't same remotely up to this challenge.
Damn.
We'll see what happens. I think Joe probably has to
humble a little more in the next month or two for four days to pull the rep cord, but but there definitely nervous
which is why their hiding him here is a great principle in politics
your political team is hiding you and trying to avoid any one hearing what you have to say anything,
not me good spot than why remember. Senator you made this point during impeachment during one of
three? I am recording sessions. You said that it seemed like
wins in the democratic elites, were turning again
Joe Biden, which is why they were allowing some of the allegations about Hunter Biden in Jos, possible corruption to start coming out. I can't
but notice now, were you know a little bit of ways away from the democratic convention and some new allegations have come attic about Joe Biden, it it does raise them,
question and that observation you may have the democratic elites
cited they need. A new guy
and in media is terrified, a body
covering the allegations against Biden, and you go back
hundred Biden. Listen, we went in great length through various men. The ukrainian issues with Honour Biden, there's a whole other set of issues with China,
and you better believe if Joe Biden as the nominee, we're gonna be talking about Joe Biden, direct financial benefits.
China is well, that's gonna be a maid.
Issued the elections. One of the reasons some Democrats are nervous and want to jettison Joe. That's why the deed
else matter. That's why the specificity matters, and I can't tell you how happy I am to know,
At least you I'll play some other people too, but at least you are taking specific action on China. A specific action
how to make sure that something like this doesn't happen into
future and make sure that we're not continuing to be
so vulnerable, so much more to get too, but, as usual, we ve run out of time. Thank you senator I'm Michael knows this is verdict with texts
Transcript generated on 2020-06-15.