Appearing on Fox News Monday morning, a U.S. Senator from Arkansas who has been a vocal critic of the communist Chinese regime during the COVID-19 pandemic promised retribution against the Asian superpower.
“Let’s remember that the China virus could have been a local health problem in Wuhan,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said. “If the Chinese Communist Party had been transparent and honest and not been so corrupt from the very beginning, instead, they unleashed a global pandemic. So, there are many ways in which China is going to pay for this pandemic. One will be the basic removal of fundamental manufacturing capacity from China. What they’ve used to get rich in recent decades, like bringing pharmaceutical and medical device, medical supply manufacturing back to the United States.”
Many on the political right view the COVID-19 pandemic as vindication for President Donald J. Trump, who has consistently campaigned on bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States. The virus, which has disrupted global supply chains, has shown just how reliant the United States is on hostile foreign powers for day-to-day essentials.
“China should also face economic consequences beyond the loss of their manufacturing capacity, such as opening the court system up for victims of the virus, much like we did for the victims of the 9/11 attacks,” Cotton sad. “And then there’s further actions that we should consider taking as well, like reviewing all of China’s participation in international agencies, some of which seem to answer to the beck and call of Beijing like the World Health Organization. The consequences of this virus are going to be far-reaching and long-lasting for the Chinese Communist Party.”
Last week, Cotton specifically pointed to China’s involvement in United States telecommunication networks as a potential threat.
“Allowing Chinese firms to access our telecom network is a threat to Americans’ ability to communicate freely and securely,” he said. “I urge the FCC to heed the recommendation of six U.S. agencies that China Telecom be banned from operating in the United States.”
Allowing Chinese firms to access our telecom network is a threat to Americans’ ability to communicate freely and securely.
I urge the FCC to heed the recommendation of six U.S. agencies that China Telecom be banned from operating in the United States.
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) April 10, 2020
As early as three weeks ago, Cotton, who has been the most vocal proponent of punishing China for its role in the global pandemic, called it “crazy” that America depends on a foreign enemy for “basic pharmaceuticals.”
