{ "error": "", "type": "text", "title": "Secretary Pompeo's Interview With Van Harden and Bonnie Lucas of Van and Bonnie in the Morning, WHO Radio - China", "slug": "secretary-pompeos-interview-with-van-harden-and-bonnie-lucas-of-van-and-bonnie-in-the-morning-who-radio", "text": "
MR HARDEN:<\/strong> Wow. You know that second part we\u2019ve had a lot of uncertainty with a lot of the China stuff, and I know that you know when Ambassador Branstad was governor here we used to get to talk to him all the time, but we haven\u2019t really heard \u2013 I\u2019m sure he\u2019s been playing a big part of all of this you\u2019re working on.<\/p>\n SECRETARY POMPEO:<\/strong> He has. In fact, he\u2019s back with me today. He\u2019s going to be traveling around with me. In some sense this was his idea to come here and talk about this very uncertainty that you described. I think we all know that for an awful long time the American agriculture community was prohibited from selling their products in China. It just wasn\u2019t fair, tariffs and nontariff barriers that presented \u2013 prevented Iowans from competing fairly, whether it was selling soybeans or corn or pork or whatever it may be. President Trump is determined to open those markets. There\u2019s a massive market in Asia. And I know it\u2019s difficult sometimes, but in the long run, for the next generation of farmers and the generation after that, this is something that\u2019s important to take on, and President Trump has been prepared to do it.<\/p>\n MR HARDEN:<\/strong> How hard is it to talk to the Chinese about this? I mean, are they receptive or is it polite? What\u2019s it like?<\/p>\n SECRETARY POMPEO:<\/strong> So they\u2019re often \u2013 in fact almost always \u2013 very polite. But they\u2019re trying to protect their own farmers, their own markets. Moreover, they haven\u2019t done it fairly. They have stolen American intellectual property, and goodness, every Iowa farmer knows these are high-tech businesses, whether it\u2019s the seeds or the farm implements. These are things that require real investment, real dollars. And when the Chinese steal those secrets, that\u2019s not right, it\u2019s not fair, and so we have that conversation with them. We have to fix it. They can\u2019t keep stealing from Iowa farmers. It\u2019s not fair, and President Trump is going to try and make it right.<\/p>\n MS LUCAS:<\/strong> So realistically, do you see any kind of a trade agreement coming in the near future?<\/p>\n SECRETARY POMPEO:<\/strong> I think so. We\u2019ve made real progress. I\u2019ve been in a lot of negotiations these last ten months as Secretary of State. They are hard-fought, and there\u2019s no certainty that they\u2019ll come to fruition. But I\u2019ve seen the progress that\u2019s been made, and I\u2019m very hopeful that in the weeks ahead there\u2019ll be a really good outcome for America and for Iowa.<\/p>",
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