Fox News "The Story with Martha MacCallum" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Josh Hawley

Interview

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And also developing tonight, Senator Josh Hawley went to Hong Kong last month to see for himself what was happening to the protesters there under the fist of the Chinese government.

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SEN. JOSH HAWLEY, R-MO: The eyes of the world are on Hong Kong and free people everywhere are standing with you.

Sometimes the fate of one city defines the challenge of a whole generation. Fifty years ago, it was Berlin. Today it's Hong Kong.

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MACCALLUM: So, this week, he's calling for sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials similar to the ones that have been imposed on Russia and Tehran. Officials freezing the assets of high-ranking members of the government.

He also believes that a number of Chinese companies should essentially be tossed out of America. Like the company Tik Tok bought by China two years ago and used by millions of people including celebrities. Watch this. This is what it looks like.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Tik Tok. Join my beautiful people challenged by uploading your video.

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MACCALLUM: Seems normal enough, right? But maybe not. Senator Josh Hawley a member of the homeland committee and judiciary committee joins me now. Senator, thank you very much for being here. So, what's so scary about Tik Tok?

HAWLEY: Well, every parent should know about Tik Tok and should know that it's not just a social media platform. It's a platform that teenagers use now more than Facebook. And here's the problem, Martha. It's owned by a Chinese company that has ties to the Chinese government. To the communist Chinese party.

And as Tik Tok scoops up massive amounts of data on our kids the communist party is able to get that data. They are able to build profiles on our children, track where they go, who their friends are, what's in their phone book. It's really alarming.

MACCALLUM: So, you had a hearing today and you had an empty seat for Apple and an empty seat for Tik Tok. Why didn't they show up?

HAWLEY: Well because they are afraid to answer questions. Tik Tok doesn't want to answer to the fact that they take direction from Beijing. That they are exposing our kids' data to the Chinese communist government.

And Apple doesn't want to answer for the fact that they are storing information in China. They are storing encryption keys in China and that, too could expose Americans' text messages or e-mails to the communist party.

These are major security risks, Martha. Both of these companies need to be held accountable.

MACCALLUM: So, you want to freeze the assets of the Chinese leadership and also in Hong Kong. So, does that include President Xi, does it include Carrie Lam in Hong Kong?

HAWLEY: Yes, absolutely can. And it can also include financial institutions that may be working with them in order to put the squeeze in Hong Kong. I mean, look, we know what China is capable of. China has been stealing our jobs for years. Now they want to silence Hong Kong. They want to project power all across the region.

And ultimately, Martha, they want to shut us out. They want to shut us out so that we can't trade, so that we can't sell our products. We cannot allow that to happen.

MACCALLUM: So, talk to me a little bit about, you know, the larger picture here. You say that China is the Berlin of the times that we're living in. And, you know, there is a sense with the NBA scandal and all of that that people are starting to look at what China is doing in this country very differently.

HAWLEY: Yes. You know, Hong Kong I think really represents the battle of the future. We are in for a long struggle with China. And the truth is we probably have already given up too much ground already. By we, I really mean the U.S. government.

Washington has been asleep at the switch for years. They have thought that China was our friend. That China could be liberalized. None of that has happened. They have stolen our jobs. They have stolen our property. Now they want to shut us out of whole regions and one day they want to dominate the world. We cannot allow that to happen. We have got to get tough with them. Hong Kong shows what the battle of the future is going to look like.

MACCALLUM: Yes. But obviously, you know, there is a lot of business, a lot of trade that goes on with China. We're trying to get a trade deal with them. How much support do you think you are going to get for trying to impose sanctions and freeze the assets of the leadership when all of those things are at play?

HAWLEY: Well, I think it speaks to the need to keep pressure up on the Chinese government. Pressure is what they understand, Martha. The sweet- talking they don't respond to. They will make a deal with you, and then hood wink you behind your back.

I mean, that is -- that's not the way to deal with China. You have got to get tough with them. The president understands this. I mean, the president's tough measure is what has brought Beijing to the negotiating table. And this, I think, is sanctioning them for their bad behavior in Hong Kong, for their repression in Hong Kong helps keep the pressure up.

MACCALLUM: All right. We'll talk more about it. Senator, thank you very much. Senator Josh Hawley, always good to see you.

HAWLEY: Thanks for having me.

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