President Trump was well-prepared to stand firm on Taiwan (From FOX News Live Coverage)

Taiwan, Iran and AI on Summit Agenda

During the opening remarks of the Beijing summit, China’s President Xi Jinping warned President Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to a clash.  FOX News White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich capped off her reporting from Beijing with serious questions about Taiwan, tech strategy and security in the Pacific.  Highlights below, and full clip here. 

Jacqui Heinrich: President Trump faced a lot of criticism from Democrats that he would sell out Taiwan. obviously maintained the US position that has lasted across multiple administrations and the Chinese were not happy about it. What’s your take?  

Rebecca Grant: President Trump was well prepared to stand firm on the question of Taiwan.  And you know our commander there, Admiral Papparo, says that Beijing’s incredibly aggressive maneuvers are “dress rehearsals for forced unification.”   We’ve seen so much escalating Chinese military pressure and exercises around Taiwan, and of course China’s own military build-up, to include more than doubling their nuclear weapons arsenal.  So, President Trump understands this is no moment to go soft. I think he’s really strengthened deterrence.  The other factor in the background that’s huge is, of course, Operation Epic Fury.   China’s military, I think their eyeballs just popped out over what they saw, and the display of firepower from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy really is also a major signal about our ability to defend and deter in the Pacific.  Add to that our new defense budget that’s got more new B-21 bombers, the Navy is getting a new stealth aircraft, and this really shows that we are more than ready to deter in the Pacific, and make sure that Taiwan stays Taiwan.

Jacqui Heinrich: You mentioned that President Trump went to this summit well prepared.  You know he has dealt many times with Xi Jinping.  He knows the games that China plays, and also their real interests.  Yet he faced all of this criticism from Democrats. I was reading Hakeem Jeffries just this morning, he was accusing the President of going to China, embarrassing the country, and bending the knee, to the Chinese Communist Party.  Aside from the fact that I’m old enough to remember when it was inappropriate for a member of Congress to criticize the American President when they’re on foreign soil, with respect to Taiwan, he didn’t give an inch. What do you think China’s doing with that now; is that changing anything for them?

Rebecca Grant: Oh, absolutely.  I mean they understand that despite Xi Jinping going out of his way to make these really very bellicose, and unfriendly statements on Taiwan, President Trump didn’t budge at all.  To the contrary, Taiwan will be getting new American F-16 Block 70/72s, that’s the most upgraded version that we sell, and more armaments. We’re going to see continued support for Taiwan.  I’m shocked to see Democrats who should be taking a bipartisan approach to deterring China’s aggression going and talking the way they have.  Don’t forget, Jacqui, there’s two new dimensions here: winning the AI race, which is essential, and then of course, our incredible Space Force power.   I’m going to tell you, the presence of Elon Musk, he absolutely dominates low earth orbit that China wants to get into, and space launch, and it’s really also a strategic reminder of America’s ability to control space over that Pacific battle theater which is absolutely crucial in China it’s just you know they know they don’t have the edge and US space force is a big part of pinning down their ambitions for Taiwan y

Jacqui Heinrich: You mentioned these business leaders that came over in the U.S. delegation. Obviously, President Trump wanted China to open more of its markets, and they signaled that they would, but you also have to manage thorny issues like intellectual property theft and areas where you don’t necessarily want China to be in bed with American companies.  What are the risks that they’ll have to manage in the next steps here.

Rebecca Grant: There are definitely risks, as I think these CEOs are very well aware.  China has new laws that make it very tough to deal with intellectual property, and really, even to conduct business there.  But this is President Trump offering to do this in a different way:  let’s do it sector by sector.  Most of all he wants American business to compete and grow, and be strong, because economic strength leads to national security. And so in a field like AI, he’ll consider selling lower-grade chips in order to help U.S. companies keep that global market dominance and mess up China’s playbook, which is, of course, to take over sector by sector.  I’m glad to see the Boeing deal, I’m glad to see the agricultural deals as well because the long-term competition with China does require the U.S. to narrow that trade deficit and keep the strength that supports our national security power.