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Speaking to a packed auditorium at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution on Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a wide-ranging conversation with Hoover Director and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The two spoke about issues impacting the security and prosperity of the U.S., with a particular focus on Russia and China, according to a Hoover Institution news release. Directly addressing Russia’s war in the Ukraine, Blinken referred to the Biden administration’s national security strategy and the importance of stabilizing eastern Europe, an objective that has received massive international support, as seen by the UN General Assembly’s opposition to Russia’s annexations of Ukrainian territory, which Blinken referred to as Russia’s “sham referendum.”
Blinken also discussed the international threat of China’s aggression toward Taiwan, as it could severely disrupt the global supply chain and economic order. He expressed hope that diplomacy would work in maintaining peace and prevent an escalation in conflict. He addressed the need for greater cooperation between the U. S. and China when it came to climate change and having a coordinated public health response to infectious diseases.
With a nod to Silicon Valley, Blinken described the importance of increasing the country’s technological edge to foster peace and prosperity but not at the expense of other nations, the environment, the workforce or intellectual property rights. “Competition, when it’s fair and it’s a race to the top, is good. That’s what our own system is all about,” Blinken said.
His visit also included a tour of Stanford’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory.
Great visit to @SLAClab, an incredible National Lab operated by @Stanford for the @ENERGY Department. The amazing minds here have received Nobel Prizes, led international collaborations and enabled discoveries in physics, biology, energy research—and even paleontology! pic.twitter.com/7Mjpqp8Goe
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 17, 2022
