On Saturday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Katie Phang Show,” Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) stated that we can’t let the Chinese spy balloon “color the deeper strategic relationship with China” because China is “massively important to the U.S. economy” and we have larger objectives like getting China to follow the rule of law and treat their minority groups with respect.
Himes said, “Look, we can’t let the balloon episode color the deeper strategic relationship with China. It was a brazen act that the Chinese did in either ordering or allowing — and we’re still not entirely clear what exactly happened — that balloon into U.S. airspace. But look, this is — I’m in Germany right now, the Chinese are the number two trader with Germany. They’re massively important to the U.S. economy. And so, we can’t let this balloon episode interfere with our larger strategic objectives, which, of course, is to get the Chinese to be part of our team, eventually, meaning observing the rule of law, comporting themselves more according to values with respect to their minorities, and all of that stuff. So, — and by the way, we also need the secretary of state to be able to look his Chinese counterpart in the eye and say, it is not in your long-term interest to be part of this losing effort that Putin is running in Ukraine. So, again, we have very, very big fish to fry with the Chinese. And I would suggest that, as brazen as the balloon episode was, it can’t be allowed to interfere with the deeper strategic interests that we have with the Chinese.”
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