Okay Q, this is from RR speech. When will we know for sure?
Russia rejects the Budapest Convention, complaining that the pact allows individual owners of data to control it. In its place, Russia seeks to advance a new convention that would enhance the ability of regimes to control communication, limit information-sharing between nations, and impede efforts to investigate cybercrime. We reject the effort to undermine the goal of an open Internet governed by the rule of law and protected by international cooperation.
I want to emphasize that the people of China, Russia, and other nations that do not share our respect for individual rights are not our enemies. It is good for us to seek common ground with their leaders. President Trump describes our relationship as “a new era of competition.” He extends an open hand to “rival powers … that seek to challenge American influence, values, and wealth. We will attempt to build a great partnership with those and other countries, but in a manner that always protects our national interest.”
The rule of law is central to our national interest. While we cannot expect any system to be flawless in operation, the key issue is whether the government establishes fair rules, respects individual rights, and punishes violations. Consider the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. There may be factual disputes about who is responsible for an extrajudicial killing, but our allies must agree on the principle that each culpable person should be held accountable, because a government that operates under the rule of law cannot condone the cold-blooded murder of non-violent dissidents.
Let me conclude with this observation. I am proud to serve in the Department of Justice with 115,000 colleagues who promote the rule of law, a goal held jointly with state and local law enforcement officers. We share a noble calling to pursue justice, a calling enforced by the additional safeguard of an independent judiciary.
We work regularly with law enforcement partners in China, Russia, and other rival nations to advance our interests, but always with a clear-eyed understanding of our responsibility to serve as vigilant custodians of the rule of law. Our Constitution aspires to “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” In order to sustain it in an interconnected world, we should defend, cherish, and champion neutral legal principles and processes — in practice and not just on paper.