[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 99 (Wednesday, June 7, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1994-S1995]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 China

  Mr. KENNEDY. Madam President, the United States and China should 
talk. The United States wants to, but the leadership of the Chinese 
Communist Party--the CCP--does not. And, frankly, the leadership of the 
CCP is acting like a sullen teenager. You can only be young once, but 
you can always be immature.
  Talking does not show weakness. It shows strength. It shows 
confidence. America is confident. In refusing to talk, the Chinese 
Communist Party and its insecurities are loud.
  Now, the United States, as you know from recent media reports, has 
tried to talk to China, and we have had some success. Recently, not 
that long ago, our National Security Advisor and our Commerce Secretary 
met with their Chinese counterparts. I understand they had good 
discussions.
  I had hoped that that might be a start, but I was wrong. The CCP 
proved me wrong. For instance, our Defense Secretary, the weekend 
before last, I believe, was at the annual Singapore Security 
Conference. Our Defense Secretary asked to meet with Chinese defense 
officials, a fairly routine request.
  The defense officials from China snubbed it.
  Further, on May 26--you may have read about this in the media--a 
Chinese fighter jet flew within 400 yards of a U.S. reconnaissance 
plane flying above the South China Sea in international waters--in 
international waters. The U.S. plane had to fly threw the Chinese 
fighter jet's wake, which is very dangerous. It was an unmistakable 
attempt by the Chinese Communist Party to intimidate.
  Further still, just this past weekend, a Chinese naval ship came 
within 150 yards of a U.S. missile destroyer, yet another intentional 
and dangerous act. The U.S. ship was in the Taiwan Strait along with a 
Canadian warship. Both the U.S. ship and the Canadian ship had every 
right to be there. This was another unmistakable attempt by China to 
intimidate.
  Additionally, hardly a day goes by that the CCP doesn't release a 
statement denigrating the American people and accusing the United 
States of wanting to suppress and even destroy China.
  Let me be clear. The United States of America does not want to 
suppress China. The United States of America does not want to destroy 
China. All we want is for China to become and to act like a responsible 
member of a stable world order that follows international rules and 
norms. And that is all the world wants too.
  All we want and all the world wants is for China to stop its 
aggression. All we want and all the world wants is for China to stop 
manipulating its currency.
  All we want and all the world wants is for China to leave Taiwan 
alone. All we want and all the world wants is for China to end its 
attempt to militarize the South China Sea and the East China Sea, which 
are international waters.
  All we want and all the world wants is for China to stop poisoning 
our children with fentanyl. Stop it.
  All we want and all the world wants is for China to end its ``debt 
trap'' diplomacy through its Belt and Road Initiative and other loan 
schemes.
  All we want and all the world wants is for China to cease using its 
economic power to bully other sovereign countries--like Australia, like 
Lithuania--when those countries offer an opinion the Communist Party of 
China doesn't like.
  All we want and all the world wants is for China to tell us the 
truth--the truth--about how the COVID virus started, or at least work 
with us and other countries so we can find out.
  I could, of course, continue this list, but I won't.
  So let me repeat. The United States and China should talk. The 
advantages are and ought to be obvious.
  Why should we talk? To avoid military conflict. It is a pretty good 
start. To avoid miscalculation. The more silence there is between us, 
the more Beijing underestimates American strength.
  Why should we talk? To limit the risk of accidental confrontation, to 
pursue bilateral detente, because our economies are interwoven, because 
our economies are stronger together if everyone plays by the rules.
  Why should we talk? To seek peace in Ukraine; to develop a mutual 
plan for how we should respond to advancements in technology, like 
artificial intelligence, like quantum computing; to talk about space; 
to discuss fair trade policies for products that don't have national 
security implications.
  Why should we talk? To prepare for the next pandemic--it is just a 
thought--to develop cheaper and cleaner energy, to avoid nuclear war, 
to avoid destroying the human race.
  Look, if China doesn't want to talk, that would be a shame. But it is 
hard to fix somebody who doesn't want to be fixed. It would also be 
China's loss. It would be China's loss not to talk.
  For years, China has tried to portray itself to the world as mighty, 
as successful, as peace-loving. And I hope someday China is all of 
those things.
  China, for years, has tried to portray itself to the world as a 
gentle giant. For a while, it worked. It worked until it didn't. The 
world now sees a different China. The world now sees a China that 
mismanaged COVID, that is on the wrong side of the Ukraine war, that is 
destroying Hong Kong, that has militarized the South and East China 
Seas.
  The world now sees a China that punishes its own people--the Uighurs 
and the good people of Tibet--that denies even the most basic civil 
rights to its Han Chinese majority, including the right to self-
determine, including the right even to access an uncensored internet.
  The world sees a China that tries to bully other sovereign countries.
  The world now sees a China whose population is shrinking, whose 
people are aging without a safety net for its elderly, whose young, 
college-educated children can't find a job, whose housing market is in 
turmoil.
  The world now sees a China whose debt is unmanageable, whose 
technology sector has been purposely, intentionally stunted by its own 
political leadership.
  The world now sees a China whose capital markets are flailing, whose

[[Page S1995]]

state-owned entities are models of inefficiency and corruption, and 
whose economy is slowing.
  I know that is a cold dish of truth, but that is what the world sees. 
If China cares about the world and if the people of China care about 
how the world sees China--and both do--China will reengage with the 
world, including the United States of America, not shrink from it.
  So I end, Madam President, as I began. The United States and China 
need to talk. The United States and China need to talk, not just for 
the United States but also for China and for the world. And, frankly, 
China has the most to gain, given the deterioration of its reputation.
  But it is entirely up to China. America, we have done our part, and 
the United States will continue to do its part. We want to talk. We are 
confident, but, lately, China's insecurities are loud.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Murphy). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.