Mike Rogers Presses Military Official About The Threat Of China, Russia, And North Korea's Alliance

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During a House Armed Services Committee hearing held before the congressional recess, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) questioned Military officials about the Russia, China, North Korea relationship.

Transcript

00:00Thank you, General Brunson. I recognize myself first for questions.

00:03Admiral Paparo, how does the growing cooperation between China, Russia, and North Korea present challenges in your area of operations?

00:15Chairman, each country compensates for the other's weaknesses.

00:21In this case, it's quite transactional, and there's a matter of symbiosis among it.

00:25So, for example, China has provided 70% of the machine tools and 90% of the semiconductors that support Russia's rebuilding its war machine.

00:39North Korea provides, as discussed, thousands of rounds in support and troops.

00:46And coming back to China and to North Korea are key capabilities where they would otherwise be behind that would help close the gaps.

00:55Submarine technology, missile technology, and surface-to-wear missiles, and so forth.

01:02This is your transactional symbiosis that poses a serious challenge.

01:07Great.

01:07General Brunson, what does the U.S. gain from our presence on the Korean Peninsula?

01:12And if, in fact, your tri-command of U.S., South Korea, and U.N. forces didn't exist,

01:18what would it cost us to re-establish that kind of foothold on the Asian continent?

01:25Chairman, as you know, that'll be truly a matter of policy.

01:29But from my perspective, what I see is that we've got positional advantage currently.

01:33We've had experience, you asked us in your opening, to sort of highlight these things in regard to our experiences.

01:42And I can say that, honestly, having been a Special Operations Joint Task Force commander in Iraq one year,

01:48I found myself on a FOB that I had been on as a battalion commander six years before.

01:53And we don't want that same condition.

01:55I think what we have to recognize is that the way that we are organized,

01:58the way that we posture ourselves in the region, we ought not to seek credit for it,

02:03but we ought to at least acknowledge the fact that we're in all the places that we need to be.

02:08Capacities aside, the capabilities that are resident within the KTO presently

02:13are right where they need to be, my military assessment.

02:17I think that decisions will be made in the future, but just getting back in there

02:20and what we might be able to provide, again, in terms of protection and sustainment,

02:25which we're able to do across the globe, I think is critically important.

02:29Admiral Paparo, how can the U.S. accelerate the delivery of U.S. weapons to improve Taiwan's self-defense?

02:38How will the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative authorized by the FY25 NDAA

02:42help us deliver these needed capabilities to Taiwan?

02:47Chairman, key is to eliminate, remove bureaucratic, in some cases, bureaucratic limitations

02:56in order to do so. Liberalizing the supply bases, certifying supply bases,

03:02a steady flow of funds in order to fund those capabilities and downstream long lead item matters

03:10would greatly enhance our ability to produce at speed.

03:14And do you think that would have a deterrent effect on China's perceived opportunities?

03:21Sir, I think it gains three to five to one leverage for every capability that we provide in defense.

03:28Great. Thank you.

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