CNN Newsroom: Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) Discusses About China Plan For Ukraine In Ukraine

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Well, I think some parts of it are laudable, but I think it would be - pardon me - March Madness to think that this particular plan would yield peace when it doesn't even call for the pullback of Russian troops to any degree. And so what it ends up doing is it basically ratifies the status quo, which is completely unacceptable.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Well, I think they're trying to burnish their reputation as a peacemaker. I think their big audience are the Europeans. But every time that the CCP and President Xi Jinping want to try to court the Europeans to try to help revive their economy, every time they say to Vladimir Putin - or President Xi Jinping calls him "dear friend," I think it sends shutters down the spines of European officials.

At the end of the day, I understand that President Xi recognizes Europe is the biggest destination for Chinese goods and the biggest source of investment in the People's Republic of China. But I don't see them running toward his corner when he makes moves like this toward Vladimir Putin.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Well, I can't discuss classified information. But I think it's fair to say there's a deep level of concern about the CCP and the Chinese Communist Party basically considering doing this. It would really escalate the war. And I think that President Xi has to recognize that there would be immediate sanctions, not only from the United States, but from those - precisely those European countries that he's trying to court to revive his economy. So we would respectfully tell him, don't go down this path.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Well, I think that what the American people need to know is why this committee was created. It was basically created to assess the challenges that the CCP poses with regard to our economy, with regard to our national security and our technological security and to then try to usher legislation through other committees of jurisdiction to deal with those challenges.

And so we don't seek a war, we don't seek a cold war or a hot war or any hostilities of any kind with the People's Republic of China. However, we do need to protect our interests as Americans and we also need to deter any aggression by the CCP toward us, our friends, our allies, our partners.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source