Segment for remarks from hillary clinton, discussing americas role in the world during a recorded Virtual Event hosted by the Atlantic Council. You are watching cspan. The first woman to be the president ial candidate of a major u. S. Political party. One of only three women who has served as secretary of state. She was first lady and has been a u. S. Senator. We are delighted that she is going to have another first with us as she will be the first speaker in our brandnew series, alexion 2020, americas role in the world. Part of the Atlantic Council frontpage series. Leaders, wef global have had heads of state from columbia, afghanistan, and london. We have had the. Ecretarygeneral of nato we are delighted to have former secretary of state, hillary clinton. We will feature the most prominent voices shaping the International Dialogue to explore u. S. Leadership and interests in the world alongside our friends and allies. Secretary clinton knows that this is a [indiscernible] and at the Atlantic Council we dont believe so much in that, we have a huge audience and you can all connect and comment on this event by using the council frontpage. With that, i want to turn to secretary clinton. Thank you so much for being with us to what being with us for this important series. Sec. Clinton thank you very much, fred. Fred its wonderful to see you, even though its against the screen and you are so somewhat distant from us here. This is an unusual year, the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic downturn since the great depression. The most significant racial upheaval in 50 years, and some are saying this may be the most important president ial election of our lifetimes. I wonder if you could speak first to that. You taught a class on history and have been a president ial candidate yourself. What are the stakes this year . I agree sec. Clinton with that assessment, fred. This is the most consequential president ial election in a long time and for all the reasons that you just pointed out. In addition to the challenges that we face both domestically and internationally in trying to strongeretter, approach towards the future, which i believe is at stake in this upcoming election. Very quickly, we have seen a herefailure of leadership at home and abroad by the current administration. A real disregard for institutions such as nato and institutions here at home. Undermining of the rule of law at home and the rulesbased global order abroad. We have seen a failure to respond effectively to the pandemic and, of course, there are many other challenges that have either been ignored or made and ain the last three half years. So, this is a moment of reckoning not only for the United States, but as you rightly point out, the International Community also has a lot at risk in the outcome of this next president ial election here. So, moment of reckoning. If you look at the challenges for the next president of the United States, they will be a norm us. Setting priorities is one of the hardest angst to do in leadership. Looking at the challenges you have outlined and problems we are facing internally, domestically, and in the world, if you are setting priorities, what are they one through five . Sec. Clinton its interesting, i have had this conversation with the Vice President s campaign and the transition effort thats underway. This is not an ordinary time. There will have to be a concerted effort to move on several fronts at once. It reminds me a little bit of obamahen president elect asked me to be secretary of state and he said, look, our economy is in a terrible great recession. Which of course it was back in 2008 and 2009. I have to deal with the economic crisis. But we also have problems around the world and have neglected our leadership and alliances in the prior eight years. Well, i think you just have to quadruple that to understand what president elect biden might be facing. So, i think there has to be a full court press, as we say, both on the economy, at home, dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic, because i dont think it will be over by the next inauguration, making sure that we have a strong response jobs, as wellng as health care. In our country, as you know, health care is often attached to employment. Something we are trying to change. Tohono oodom we will have to regain leadership and rebuild alliances and make it clear to here at home we will have to regain leadership and rebuild alliances, making it clear that the United States will be resuming a position of Global Leadership and bring people together around common threats, be it Climate Change or the Global Pandemic. Fred as i said earlier, you were the third woman to be secretary of state. Foreign policy doesnt usually play as big a role in president ial elections. I wonder what role you think it will play this year, if it will be any different because of the situation we are in. Well, i think it should and i hope it will. Challenges,ous internationally, and i think the press and public should be demanding answers from the thembent, donald trump, and challenger, joe biden. Inave a lot of confidence joe bidens experience on the international scene. I worked with him in the senate for eight years and in the obama cabinet for four. So, to just take a quick look at what we face, we face a Global Pandemic and we are going to eventually i hope, only after as is proven safe and effective, have a vaccine or more than one. Then we will have to figure out how working together in a cooperative way the world can distribute and deliver that vaccine globally so that we really do tame the virus. To have to deal with the continuing interference in our elections by Vladimir Putin and the kremlin. This is an ongoing threat to our own democracy, but to other democracies as well and it needs to be addressed firmly and finally rather than allowing it to fester. We know from recent intelligence reports that the russians are once again trying to favor and help elect donald trump. We need to have a stable, consistent policy towards china, the most consequential of our global relationships. I dont blame the chinese for filling the vacuum left by the incoherent and inco assistant inconsistent policies of the Trump Administration, but we cannot permit china to dominate the Pacific Region and beyond and try to substitute its own power and influence for a rulesbased global order. And there are many other issues, whether it be Climate Change or the renewed effort by iran to or theuclear weapon unchecked efforts by north korea and so much else that are going Pay Attention to. So, i hope that the Incoming Biden Administration will be prepared to move on a number of fronts, domestic and international simultaneously. Because the work that needs to be done is rather overwhelming. You, secretary clinton. You mentioned the biden harris ticket, so lets deal with a couple of issues that have been in the news of the last few days that have been of importance. As you said, Vice President biden has chosen Kamala Harris as his running running mate. These Vice President ial choices are sometimes written off as not being that important. Others are saying that it will be this time, for two reasons, many more as well, because she is a woman of color and vice , if running for a second term, would be 81 years old. How important is this Vice President ial pick, do you think . Fred i think it it sec. Clinton i think it is important and significant, i think. Having gone through this myself, you want to pick someone who you think can become president , if necessary, can be a good colleague that you can work with and give increasing responsibility to, and someone obviously who can help you win. The Vice President concluded that senator harris checks all those boxes. Her incredible energy, her , allience, her life story will be very compelling in the selection. Having both campaigned with her and for her, i have seen firsthand how thoughtful and focused she can be. So, i think it is an important and significant choice. I think the country will be in good hands with the biden Harris Administration. Now we have 80 days to try to make sure that we have a free and Fair Election without foreign interference so that the maximum number of eligible americans are able to vote and their votes will be counted and we are confident in the outcome of the election in november. History has shown that an International Event like covid19, you really have to go back to the spanish flu to think of something that consequential, can have a huge geopolitical implication. You have talked a bit about how we should respond to it. In a geopolitical sense, where do you see the opportunity that could be seized but also whats the danger . Could this accelerate history in a way that many have said would accelerate the relative decline of the United States . I think thats really up to the United States. Thats why this election is incredibly important in every way i can imagine. You are right, fred, about the history of pandemics. Whether it be the black plague in the middle ages or the socalled spanish flu 100 years ago. We have seen the failure of government to deal with the pandemic. That is a wakeup call for everyone, to understand that we need to both take a hard look at Public Health processes and institutions within countries, but also internationally. I thought it was a grave error for donald trump to attack the world health organization. To act as though he could pull the United States out of it. Something that is more complicated than he lets on. We should be buttressing the world health organization. We should be buttressing the Vaccine Institute institution that has been set up internationally. We should be having intense diplomatic conversations with health experts, logistics howrts, and others about what we are going to finally get to a safe and effective vaccine, or perhaps even more than one. And then manage the distribution of it so that we try to bring aroundld together defeating the pandemic. Not permit the vaccine nationalism that is taking ice right now. Reallythere is a lot of important work that needs to be done and the United States has to be in the middle of it. It cannot sit on the sidelines, being indifferent or even contemptuous of International Efforts and expect that we are going to benefit ourselves, as well as lead the world. The final point is, you know, we saw a virus jump from wuhan, china to the United States, europe, and now literally the entire globe. To think that we can shut ourselves off and pretend as though we can deal with it on our own is both scientifically and politically, and strategically, i would say, false. So, i would wish that rather than the behavior we are currently seeing from the Trump Administration, we would see a more thoughtful, smart, engaged, cooperative effort. Thats what its going to take. It took that to eliminate smallpox. We have been working for decades to illuminate measles and polio. It has to be a global effort and the United States must assume a leadership role politically and financially. More so, something a bit like 2008 and 2009 in this global crisis, when the g20 was created, there was a lot of u. S. Leadership and cooperation with others at that point. U. K. Relationship was important, amongst many others. I was going to say, i think that we are also going to have lingering financial ramifications from the pandemic. Very, obviously seeing you know, very slow economic activity. Some of the worst in the last 50 years in parts of europe. We know what the impact has been in the United States. We dont have good data from the rest of the world, but it has obviously had a global impact. I think there very well could be working inthe g20, conjunction with the u. N. , the are with gabi, others who Major Players in the Public Health arena to try to learn from the mistakes that were made. You know . Yes, i think its fair to say china was not as forthcoming or transparent as it needed to be in the beginning. We also had a unfortunate lack or evenration understanding in central ,ountries several countries including our own. The guidebook, the blueprint for dealing with Global Pandemic that the Obama Administration left for the Trump Administration was disregarded. Let us hope that individual nations will learn lessons. But let us also hope that collectively we can put together a more robust and Quick International response and to get every nation to buy into it. So that you dont have the role of any nation in the midst of a potential pandemic be to shut investigationde from international experts. We need to be more open and transparent. I fear, fred, that you know, this is not the last of the viruses the world will face. In fact, i think that there is a lot a very thoughtful analysis pointing towards this perhaps being the beginning of a continuing Public Health threat that we should be better prepared for internationally and we need to do that as quickly as possible. You, secretary clinton. China has come up several times in this conversation. It seems to be the sort of pure competitor of the sort that we have never experienced before. Across so many realms, economy, technology, military, etc. The Trump Administration has been quite outspoken, particularly in the last weeks. In the past they have said that the u. S. Has ignored china for too long and now we need to set up the next president of the United States, seems like we dont have a strategy. What could the strategy contain . Yeah sec. Clinton yeah. We have gone through a number of phases with china ever since the nixon opening to china. For a number of decades it was certainly in americas interests and the worlds interests, i would argue, to support china and in its economic rise, to work to include china in the in all kinds order of institutional ways. But i think any relationship has to be constantly reevaluated. As we have seen with xi jinping, a lot of the aggressive nature of the chinese ambitions now are very clear. Militarily, strategically, economically, internationally. So, you require a clear and consistent approach to china, which we have not seen under the Trump Administration. A series ofeen economic actions taken, not particularly effective, from what i have seen, and a lot of namecalling. In the meantime, china has extended its robe and belt program and increased its influence across not only asia, but into africa and of the south pacific. Even into europe. Certainly, latin america. China is not only Building Infrastructure nationally but through a competitive Infrastructure Bank it has set up. You see, with china they are playing the long game. As you say as i say, you cannot blame a country for acting in its own self interests. We can question ourselves at not being more effective in how we deal with chinas new, more aggressive, ambitious approach. I think it is important to isess that the United States an asian power. A pacific power. I had those conversations when i was secretary of state with my chinese counterpart that we will and intend to protect the South China Sea from colonization by Chinese Military interests. That we stand with our friends and allies in asia, east asia, south asia, in their efforts to protect their territorial integrity. That we should get back into the business of competing for hearts, minds, and infrastructure in different parts of the world. Because it does make a difference. We did a tremendous job under president george w. Bush in fighting the aids epidemic in billionspending many of dollars saving lives and providing treatment, while china was building soccer stadiums and parliament buildings. But we werent competing. We had a strong case to make that we were standing up for, you know, the human rights and the health care, the freedom of people in africa. Basically, with trump as president , we are absent. We are absent symbolically and we are absent substantively. I think there is a lot we can do to rebuild our presence. We also shouldnt shy away from continuing to speak out about human rights in china, about the uighurs, about the crackdown in hong kong. Theres a real audience in china and around the world for the u. S. Regaining his voice when it comes to human rights. So, theres a real opportunity think a bidenat i Harris Administration would quickly see to try to get our relationship with china back on a steadier, more predictable course. Reasserting american standing and leadership in asia and beyond. Secretary clinton, where does europe stand in this . Let me take it back to 2013. The Atlantic Council gave you the outstanding leadership award. To underscore bipartisan, nonpartis