[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 146 (Thursday, September 12, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 China

  Mr. President, on China, a report in the Wall Street Journal this 
morning describes how China will seek to narrow the scope of ongoing 
negotiations with the United States, hoping to focus on trade alone, 
leaving national security issues for a separate conversation. Of 
course, in many cases, these two issues are intertwined and 
indissoluble. Of course, China and the United States will invariably 
disagree about which issue is a trade issue and which issue is a 
national security issue.
  Regardless, this transparent attempt by China to dodge a conversation 
about its predatory actions against American companies should not 
stand. China has stolen an entire generation of innovation from the 
United States. Of course they don't want to talk about this topic, and 
of course they want to defer this conversation to a day in the future 
that will never come.
  Make no mistake about it, what the Chinese are doing is another 
effort to protect Huawei and similarly large Chinese corporations from 
further action in the United States. They don't let our best and 
biggest corporations sell goods in China. Why should we let them sell 
goods here, particularly when there is a national security risk as 
there is in Huawei? My late father-in-law, a New York City cabdriver, 
used colorful language. He said: Do you know what? When it comes to 
China, we are not Uncle Sam; we are Uncle Sack. Let's stop that 
already.
  President Trump has shown some strength in this issue, but then he 
also often backs off. We have to be tough on Huawei--very tough on 
Huawei. That is the best way to teach China that they can't sell 
whatever they want here in America and not let us sell in China.
  I have a concise and pointed request to the White House this morning: 
Tell China to forget about it. Don't let China exclude our Nation's 
security and Huawei from the negotiations.
  Let me remind President Trump and his advisors that over the past 
several years, China has endeavored to keep our blue-chip technology 
companies out of its markets. When it does allow American companies 
access, it makes the transfer of proprietary intellectual property and 
technology to Chinese companies a precondition. When American companies 
don't play by their rules, Chinese companies steal the technology.

  President Trump, you have been tougher on China than President Bush 
or Obama. I give you some credit for that, but it will all come to 
naught unless we actually take action. Don't let Huawei sell here. 
Don't let Huawei get the components made in America they need to 
continue to threaten both our economic and national security.
  If China keeps American companies out, we should keep important 
Chinese companies out, particularly those like Huawei, until China 
relents. They will if we stay strong and if we stay tough.
  President Trump, stay strong on China and on Huawei.