U.S. Relationship With China ‘Worse’ Than With Soviet Union During Cold War, Former National Security Adviser Says

Former Trump National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster believes American relations with China today are “worse” than they were with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. 

McMaster made the remarks during an interview with Margaret Brennan on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” Sunday. He told the host that U.S.-China relations are more complex than they were with the U.S.S.R. because of the interconnectedness of the two economies, and said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) must “change its behavior” so the two countries can have a better relationship. 

“It’s worse, it’s worse,” McMaster said when asked by Brennan about comparisons to the Cold War in response to news of China’s spy facility in Cuba. “Because it’s a more difficult problem set because of the way that our economies have become interconnected, in large measure based on these flawed assumptions about the nature of relationship, and especially the intentions of the Chinese Communist Party.”

“We thought that, that we could determine the behavior of the party by the way we engage them,” McMaster said. “But hey, guess what I mean, the Chinese Communist Party leadership had aspirations that went far beyond anything in reaction to what we do. And China really does want to establish itself as it sees it at the center.”

McMaster’s comments come as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a trip to Beijing — the highest-level visit by an American official since President Biden took office. Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in talks both sides called “candid,” but the Chinese foreign ministry admitted that the U.S.-China relationship “is at the lowest point since its establishment,” according to the Associated Press. 

“I think China’s sending a message, ‘hey, we’re in charge now. You’re finished’ to the west and to the United States,” McMaster said of recent acts of aggression from the Peoples Liberation Army against Taiwan as well as a Chinese jet flying directly in front of an American reconnaissance plane.

“I think it’s indicative of what they hope to achieve, Margaret, which is to create kind of an exclusionary area of primacy across the Indo-Pacific region,” McMaster continued. “They’ve laid claim to the ocean in the South China Sea, for example.” 

McMaster called for a “strong response” to the recent displays of aggression and said the Blinken’s visit “may portray a bit of weakness.” He explained that China has been playing “hard to get” when it comes to communications between the two countries, and said that the CCP will use the talks to “create a perception that we’re going there to pay homage to the Chinese Communist Party.”

The former national security adviser said the CCP will use that perception to get other countries in the region to “bandwagon” with China. 

“They want to use that kind of perception of China’s strength relative to the United States to bludgeon countries in the region and say, ‘hey, time to bandwagon with us. This is our era,’ what they call the ‘new era of international relations,’” McMaster said. 

Despite this, McMaster urged Blinken to go into the talks with the Chinese delegation recognizing that the U.S. is in a position of “relative strength,” partly because he says China is alienating itself from the rest of the world. 

WATCH: Democrat Corrects Herself After Saying Trump Should Be Shot

Congressional Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-USVI) had to correct herself on Sunday after she said during a live television interview that former President Donald Trump should be “shot.”

Plaskett made the comment during an appearance on MSNBC, during which she discussed the federal charges against Trump relating to his alleged mishandling of classified documents following his departure from the White House in January of 2021.

WATCH:

Freudian slip? Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands) slips and says Trump "needs to be shot." She quickly corrects herself and says "stopped." pic.twitter.com/cUJlhshiGD

— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) June 18, 2023

“You know, having Trump not only have had the codes, but now having the classified information for Americans and being able to put that out and share it in his resort — with anyone and everyone who comes through – should be terrifying to all Americans and he needs to be shot … stopped,” she said.

Plaskett went on to say that Trump would certainly have his day in court and would have the same chance that any other American citizen would have to defend himself, but she was careful to point out the fact that the former president had been indicted in a very red state — Florida — by his peers.

“Of course, he’s going to have his day in court,” she continued. “Let’s remember that he was indicted by his peers — individual Americans who live in South Florida, a red state — they saw enough that there was probable cause for him to bring this indictment for him to stand trial.”

During the same interview, Plaskett claimed that Republican “propaganda” was the only possible reason Americans might have doubts about the Justice Department and the FBI under President Joe Biden.

Democrat Del. Stacey Plaskett says some Americans are skeptical of Biden's DOJ and FBI because of Republican "propaganda" and not because Biden just weaponized his DOJ to arrest his political rival. pic.twitter.com/5GZydAhyzq

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 18, 2023

“And that’s the thing that I am concerned about with many of my colleagues in the GOP,” she said. “That they believe that there is a two-tiered system , but the two-tiered system is not to punish them more, it’s to – they want it to allow them to get away with more than everyday Americans.”

“Causing Americans to distrust the FBI, the Department of Justice, it’s all a mechanism, and all, you know, part of their propaganda,” she added.

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