Trump White House National Security Advisor Kellogg: China lacks respect for US

Former Trump administration acting National Security Advisor Keith Kellogg says the recent China spy balloon incident further proves the nation's communist regime has no respect for the Biden administration.

"You need to push back on the Chinese right away and show a level of strength," Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general and Vice President Mike Pence's national security adviser, said on the John Solomon Reports podcast.

He pointed to the Chinese minister of defense reportedly not answering Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's call in the early stages last week of the balloon being spotted over Montana.

"He didn't take the call," Kellogg said. "And I said, 'OK, that's just the level of lack of respect that they have for this administration.'" 

The balloon was shot down Saturday over the Atlantic Ocean by an Air Force fighter jet and has now been recovered by Navy divers and recovery vessels.

Kellogg said one of his main concerns is how the U.S. response to the incident will impact the situation in Taiwan.

Beijing has been escalating its threats against Taiwan, a self-governing island democracy that China views as a rogue province that must be united with the mainland — by force, if necessary.

"Who knows what's gonna happen next?" Kellogg asked. "And you have to extend that to what they're gonna do with Taiwan, because I think they're testing us seeing how we're going to respond if something were to happen to Taiwan. Will we respond to it?"

In October 2022, China President Xi Jinping declared an effort to accelerate China's military growth and forcefully "oppose Taiwan independence," if needed.