During an interview aired on Friday’s edition of “The Issue Is,” Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) stated that during the recent trip by several members of Congress, including House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), to Taiwan that he was a part of, the Chinese were “messing with us.” And “doing things to interfere with our getting there.” Takano didn’t explicitly confirm or deny that China interfered with the plane, saying that he couldn’t get into too much detail, but did preface his allegations the Chinese were “messing with” them and trying to “interfere” by praising the ability of the plane’s pilot and stated that “we were very much aware that the Chinese did not want to see us go. And we asserted that we were doing very much” what previous delegations have done.
Takano said, “We flew in a blue and white plane, and very ably, ably piloted, by the way. I can’t get into much of the details, but the Chinese were — they were messing with us. And I can’t get into the details of that. But they were doing things to interfere with our getting there.”
Host Elex Michaelson then asked, “So, are you suggesting that China’s military was actively doing things to your plane while it was in the air to try to stop you from landing?”
Takano responded, “Well, Elex, I can’t say much more, all I can say to you is that we were very much aware that the Chinese did not want to see us go. And we asserted that we were doing very much what other congressional delegations have done, what other speakers have done…that this was not a change to the status quo.”
Michaelson also asked, “When you were on that plane, and you’re suggesting that there may have been some interference from China, were you scared about landing? Were you concerned for your safety?”
Takano answered, “I had a high, a very high degree of confidence in our military and all of the precautions they were taking. Nevertheless, the delegation did join in hands. And Chairman Meeks of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Speaker asked him to lead us in a prayer, and he prayed and said — and he framed it in terms of good trouble, that what we were doing was getting into good trouble, in the terms of John Lewis, that we are standing up for a plucky democracy and we’re not going to allow that democracy to be isolated and we’re not going to allow a new normal to be established, a new status quo. We are simply abiding by the present status quo and we’re not going to allow that to change. That’s the good trouble we were getting into.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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