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MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will go to David Sanger with the New York Times.
Q Thanks, John. On a different topic: You’ll see that Treasury is about to announce a series of sanctions on the Chinese Ministry of State Security related to the Volt Typhoon
intrusions into U.S. infrastructure. I think this is the first time that you have ever named the Ministry of State Security as the force behind this. And I’m wondering whether or not you can just walk us a little bit through what went into this since, obviously, the topic came up at Riverside. There were efforts to quietly work out with the Chinese a halt to the Volt Typhoon intrusions, and I take it from the Treasury sanctions that that has failed.
MR. KIRBY: Yeah, David, I’m afraid I’m going to be completely unsatisfactory to you today on this. As you know, we don’t preview and talk about sanctions in advance. And I’m afraid I’m going to have to refer you to Treasury on that one. I’m sorry.
Q Okay. It’s only 10 minutes out, so you’re not that much in advance. I mean, they’ve — you know, they’ve embargoed. But the problem is we need — I think we’re going to need something from the NSC — and if you want to do it after Treasury, it’s fine — that sort of takes us through the national security side of this, which Treasury is not going to go do, as you know.
MR. KIRBY: I get it. We can follow up with you afterward.
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Source: The White House
Speakers: John Kirby, National Security Communications Advisor
Format: Digital Press Briefing
China Policy Research 