Transcripts For CSPAN Hillary Clinton Discusses Foreign Poli

CSPAN Hillary Clinton Discusses Foreign Policy With Atlantic Council July 12, 2024

She was the first lady. She 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, election 2020, americas role in the world, powered by samsung. This is also at the same time, part of the Atlantic Council front page series. This is our premiere platform of global leaders, we have had heads of state from colombia, afghanistan, venezuela, and singapore. We have had the secretarygeneral of nato. So we are delighted to add former secretary of state, hillary clinton. Between now and november, we will feature the most prominent voices shaping the International Dialogue to explore questions regarding u. S. Leadership and interests in the world alongside our friends and allies. And that of course is always the focus of the Atlantic Council. Secretary clinton knows that this is a time of geographic distance, but at the Atlantic Council, we dont believe so much in social distancing. We have a huge audience, and you can all comment about this event by using Atlantic Council frontpage acfrontpage. So with that, i want to turn to secretary clinton. Secretary clinton, thank you so much for being with us for this important series. Sec. Clinton thank you very much, fred. Mr. Kempe its wonderful to see you, even though its against a screen and you are somewhat distant from us here. This is a historic moment and an unusual war. It is 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 know a lot about history. You have been a president ial candidate yourself. What are the stakes this year . Sec. Clinton well, i agree with that assessment, fred. That this is the most consequential president ial election in a very 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 chart a better, stronger approach towards the future, which i believe is at stake in this upcoming election. Just very quickly, we have seen a real failure of leadership here at home and abroad by the current administration. We have seen real disregard for institutions such as nato, but also institutions here at home. An 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 been either ignored or made worse in the last 3. 5 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. Mr. Kempe so, a moment of reckoning. If you look at the challenges for the next president of the United States, they are going to be enormous. And setting priorities is one of the hardest things to do in leadership. If you look at the challenges you have outlined and problems we are facing internally, domestically, and in the world, if you are setting priorities, one through five, what are they . Sec. Clinton its interesting, because i have had this conversation with the Vice President s campaign and increainsgly those in the transition effort thats underway. Because 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 when thenpresident elect obama 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. We have neglected our leadership and our alliances in the prior eight years. Well, i think you just have to quadruple that to understand what president elect biden might be facing. And 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 to peoples losing jobs, as well as health care. Because in our country, as you know, health care is often attached to employment, something we are trying to change. And then abroad, we are going to have to quickly move to regain leadership and rebuild alliances and make clear to our competitors and adversaries that the vacuum is no more, that the United States is going to resume a position of Global Leadership and bring people together around common threats, whether it be Climate Change or the Global Pandemic. Mr. Kempe so, as i said earlier, you were the third woman after model and albright and Condoleezza Rice to be after Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice to be secretary of state. Foreign policy doesnt usually play as big a role in president ial elections. And i wondered what role you think it will play this year, whether it will be any different because of the situation we are in. Sec. Clinton well, i think it should, and i hope it will. We have some very serious challenges internationally, and i think the press and the public should be demanding answers from the incumbent, donald trump, and the challenger, joe biden. And i have a lot of confidence in joe bidens experience on the international scene. I worked with him in the senate for eight years. I worked with him in the obama cabinet for four. So, to just take a quick look at what we face, we face this Global Pandemic. We are going to eventually, i hope, only after as is proven only after it is proven, have a safe and effective 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. We are going to have to deal with the continuing interference in our election by putin and the kremlin. This is an ongoing threat to our own democracy, but also to other democracies, and it needs to be addressed firmly and finally rather than allowing it to fester. Because 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 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 get a nuclear weapon, or the unchecked efforts by north korea, and so much else that we are going to have to Pay Attention to. So, i hope that the incoming Biden Harris Administration will be prepared to move on a number of fronts, domestic and international simultaneously. Because the work is rather overwhelming that needs to be done. Mr. Kempe thank you, secretary clinton. Because you mentioned the biden harris ticket, lets deal with a couple of issues that have been in the news the last few days that have been of quite a bit of importance. As you said, Vice President biden has named senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. Vice president ial choices are sometimes written off as not being that important. Others are saying that it should be and will be more important this time, for two reasons, many more as well, because she is a woman of color, and Vice President biden, if he were running for a second term, would be 81 years old. How important is this Vice President ial pick, do you think . Sec. Clinton well, i think it is important and it is significant. Having gone through this myself, you want to pick someone who you think can become president , if necessary. Someone you feel would be a good colleague that you can work with and give increasing responsibility to, and someone obviously who can help you win. And the Vice President concluded that senator harris checks all those boxes. I think that her incredible energy, her experience, her life story, will be very compelling in this election. And having campaigned both 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 that the country would be in very good hands with a Biden Harris Administration. And now we have 80plus 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 be counted so that we are confident in the outcome of the election in november. Mr. Kempe 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 huge geopolitical implications. You have talked a bit about how we should respond to it. But 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 . Sec. Clinton well, i think thats really up to the United States. And 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 governments to deal with the pandemic. And 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. And 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 gaby, the Vaccine Institution that has been set up internationally. We should be having intense diplomatic conversations with health experts, logistics experts, and others, about how 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 the world together around defeating the pandemic. Not permit the vaccine nationalism that is taking place right now. So, there is a lot of really 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. Because the final point is, you know, we saw a virus jump from wuhan, china to the United States, and europe, and now literally the entire globe. And 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. Because thats what its going to take. It took that to eliminate smallpox. We have been working for decades to eliminate measles and polio. It has to be a global effort, and the United States must assume a leadership role both politically and financially. Mr. Kempe so, something a little bit more like 2008 and 2009 in the Global Financial crisis, when the g20 was created, there was a lot of u. S. Leadership in cooperation with others at that point. The us uk relationship was important, amongst many others. Sec. Clinton i was going to say, fred, i think that we are also going to have lingering financial ramifications from the pandemic. We are obviously seeing very, you know, very slow economic activity. Some of the worst in the last 50 years in parts of europe. And we know what the impact has been here in the United States. And we dont have good data from the rest of the world, but it has obviously had a global impact. So yes, i think there very well could be a role for the g20, working in conjunction with the u. N. , the w. H. O. , with gavi, others who are 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 as it needed to be, as transparent or open in the beginning. We also had a unfortunate lack of preparation, or even understanding in several countries, including our own. The guidebook, the blueprint for dealing with Global Pandemic that the Obama Administration had left for the Trump Administration was disregarded. So, 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 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 down and exclude investigation from international experts. We need to be more open and transparent. Because i fear, fred, that, you know, this is not the last of the viruses that the world will face. In fact, i think that there is a lot a very thoughtful analysis pointing toward 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. Mr. Kempe thank 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, whether it is technology, economy, military, etc. The Trump Administration has been quite outspoken, has made this a huge priority, particularly in the last couple of weeks. In the past they have said that the u. S. Has ignored china for too long and now we need to stand up. Seems like we dont have a strategy. What could the strategy contain . Sec. Clinton yeah. We have gone through a number of phases with china ever since the nixon opening to china. And for a number of decades, it was certainly in americas interests and the worlds interests, i would argue, to support chinas economic rise, to work to include china in the International Order in all kinds of institutional ways. But i think any relationship has to be constantly reevaluated. And as we have seen with xi jinping, a lot of the aggressive nature of chinas ambitions now are very clear. Militarily and strategically, economically, internationally. And so, you require a clear and consistent approach to china, which we have not seen under the Trump Administration. There have been a series of economic actions taken, not particularly effective, from what i have seen, and a lot of namecalling. But in the meantime, china has extended its road and belt program and increased its influence not only across 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 that it has set up. So, you see with china, they are playing the long game. And as i say, you cannot blame a country for acting in its own selfinterests. We can question ourselves for not being more effective in how we deal with chinas new, more aggressive, ambitious approach. So, i think it is important to stress that the United States is an asian power, a pacific power. I had those conversations even 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 africa, and spent many billions of dollars saving lives and providing treatment, while china was building soccer stadiums and parliament buildings. But we werent competing. And we had a really strong case to make that we were standing up for, you know, the human rights and the health care, and the freedom of people in africa. And basically

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