Fox News Host and Daily Caller co-founder, Tucker Carlson called out AT&T on Wednesday for lobbying to protect Chinese corporation China Telecom from being sanctioned by the U.S. government.
In his broadcast of “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Carlson was joined by former undersecretary for the Department of Commerce Corey Stewart, and discussed AT&T’s relationship with China Telecom, as well as the allegations that the Chinese corporation played a role in human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“We’ve confirmed that AT&T lobbied the Department of Commerce not to levy sanctions against China Telecom, which is a large, state owned corporation headquartered in Beijing,” Carlson began. “Specifically we know that AT&T worked to keep China Telecom off of something called the entity list. That list blocks companies from selling American products and technology to certain foreign firms without first getting a license.”
Carlson went on to explain that China Telecom was “set to be sanctioned” over its “alleged support of human rights abuses” by the CCP. He stated that U.S. officials claim China Telecom “is backed by the Chinese military” and “under control” of the CCP.
“AT&T is a proud partner of China Telecom, has a joint venture with China Telecom. In a statement provided to this show, AT&T admitted that it does not want China Telecom on the entities list, citing potential unintended consequences,” he said, before asking Stewart to explain AT&T’s actions.
Stewart explained that “there is very good intelligence” suggesting the CCP is using China Telecom’s telecommunications technology to “track minority populations in China,” which is leading to the “rounding up” of the Uighur population and other groups. He added that they are then placing them in “modern-day concentration camps.” (RELATED: ‘Oh My God’: CNN Anchor Reacts To ‘Shocking’ Report On Gang Rape In Chinese Internment Camps)
“When we learned of this, we of course, in the Trump administration, began to place China Telecom on the entity list, to put sanctions upon them,” Stewart continued. “When we were contacted by Ed Gillespie, the executive vice president of AT&T, who urged us not to place China Telecom, despite the abuses, on the entity list. Needless to say, we were pretty much shocked by that.”
Carlson then asked Stewart why AT&T would jeopardize their image by siding with a company associated with genocide.
“It doesn’t make sense unless you assume that, despite what CNN and its corporate parent say about protecting minorities and standing up for human rights, if it’s all a lie. And what they’re actually doing is placing profit over and above human rights, over and above U.S. national security concerns,” Stewart responded.
“And we were on the verge of placing China Telecom, as well as other companies, onto the entity list. And let me just say this, the career staff at the Commerce Department were clearly on a path to do this. If it doesn’t happen, that will mean there was pressure from the Biden administration, put on it by AT&T, to not put them on there,” he concluded.
AT&T responded to Carlson’s segment Wednesday night with a statement, claiming that it was “misleading.” They then confirmed their relationship with China Telecom, saying that it’s necessary because “no non-Chinese provider can serve U.S. companies operating in China” without a “licensed Chinese communications company.”
“AT&T’s statement does not deny the reporting about the company’s role in opposing sanctions against a Chinese telecom company. It acknowledges that role,” a Fox News representative told the Daily Caller.