During a House Armed Services Committee hearing prior to the congressional recess, Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) questioned Katherine Thompson, who is performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, about Chinese involvement in European supply chains.
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00:00And I'll recognize this is a gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Amadei.
00:03Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our panel for coming today.
00:08The conflict in Ukraine is the convergence of tensions not only with Russia,
00:12but also Iran, North Korea, and China as well.
00:16Now, we have an America First mandate to first protect the homeland
00:19and to use the strength to deter war.
00:21That's a mission that the Biden administration failed to achieve.
00:24Now we are divided across the Asian, European, and Middle Eastern theaters,
00:28and we face tough choices.
00:29There simply aren't enough brave young men and women, sons and daughters,
00:33to be everywhere all at once.
00:35Now, America First doesn't mean America alone.
00:38And yet, a continent divided by Chinese and Russian economic penetration cannot stand.
00:44Now, we must seize the chance to realign our NATO commitments,
00:47defense manufacturing, and our trade policies
00:48to find new ways to make Europe's economy a denied environment
00:52for those plotting harm against America and its allies.
00:55Now, my first question is to you, Secretary Thompson.
00:57Now, we're directing immense resources to onshore defense industrial base here.
01:03And as you know, all the semiconductor industry as well,
01:06President Trump has really advocated in his first term also,
01:09in his second term already.
01:11And what I'm concerned about right now is at the same time,
01:13China threatens our momentum by trying to purchase some of the most advanced machines
01:18that are coming out of the Netherlands that are capable of producing these chips.
01:21Now, how does Chinese infiltration of European supply chains threaten our security here at home?
01:27Congressman, it's a great question, and I think you bring up a very important dynamic.
01:31And this is something that we do continue to encourage our European allies to focus on,
01:35which is the economic security considerations,
01:37particularly as we look to strengthen the transatlantic industrial base on both sides of the Atlantic.
01:43This is a major consideration that would affect our ability to co-produce, co-develop, etc.,
01:47with our European allies.
01:49And we want to be able to do that.
01:50But those conditions, certainly on the front, on China, do impact our ability to do that.
01:56And so it's a consideration that we will continue to raise with them
01:59and encourage them to address so that we can develop together.
02:02Sure, but is it just conversations right now?
02:05That's all I can report on at this time.
02:08I'm sure my colleagues in acquisition and sustainment would have more to say
02:11on the tangible operational side because they deal with the technical exchanges.
02:16And so I would defer respectfully to them and their leadership and their expertise on that.
02:20Very good.
02:21I have full confidence in the Trump administration to protect our key defense industrial base
02:26as well as our chip manufacturing that feeds so much into it.
02:29And, General, thank you for your lifelong service.
02:33And I know it's going to continue afterwards, especially when you become a veteran.
02:38But I appreciate all of what you've done to our country.
02:41And my question to you is regarding Europe, is Europe doing enough to control
02:46or to help the situation contain what's going on with the Houthis in Yemen?
02:49So the EU has a mission called a SPEEDIS, which has ships in the Gulf to protect commercial shipping, sir.
03:02Obviously, the United States has felt the need to do the same alongside it.
03:08Together, it's hard for me to say if it's enough.
03:11I refer to General Carrilla, who follows that much more closely.
03:16Sure.
03:17But we also know that the Russians have been helping the Houthis as well.
03:21Is that correct?
03:22I'd like to answer that in closed session, please, sir.
03:26No worries.
03:27And how much of the Iranian, Houthi and Chinese threats to Europe,
03:33how much can that affect the United States?
03:35I guess indirectly, massively, directly.
03:46Probably, probably, we don't have that much shipping, I don't think, that comes through the Suez.
03:52However, our warships transit that all the time.
03:55So it would affect our ability to conduct military operations, for sure.
03:59I'm not sure.
04:00I'm not an economist.
04:00I couldn't comment on how big the impact would be on us economically or something.
04:05Chairman, I yield back.