Political Quotes

“Madam President, finally, there is a topic I have discussed before--the administration's moves to block access to telecommunications equipment to China's state-controlled and state- backed firms, like Huawei. I firmly back these measures. Our defense, law enforcement, and intelligence officials have publicly testified that Huawei and other Chinese telecom companies pose a national threat to the security of the United States. Their technology could allow China to spy on Americans, steal their data, and otherwise conduct espionage. Also, there is another point. China has taken advantage of us. There is a huge consensus now in America that that has happened. We didn't have that consensus even 5 years ago, but whether it is business or labor, average American citizens, Democrats, or Republicans, everyone agrees that China takes advantage, and one of the main ways they take advantage is they don't let our companies that have top-line products sell them in China, except under restrictions that make it almost impossible for them to do it. Our major tech companies are excluded from China, but China, at the same time, can sell anything it wants here. ``Reciprocity'' should be our watch word. If Google or Facebook or any of our other companies can't sell in China, their top companies shouldn't sell here until they let us in. That is what has happened with Huawei, in addition to the national security concerns, and it makes sense. So I say to the Commerce Department: Stay strong.…”