Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions insists we are long overdue in getting China to act in good faith on the international stage, particularly as the communist nation was not more forthcoming about the coronavirus in early stages, which is now a global pandemic.

Sessions, a candidate for U.S. Senate in the now-postponed Alabama Republican Primary runoff election, criticized mainland China for its adherence to communist ideology during an interview with Huntsville, AL radio’s WVNN.

“This is a totalitarian government,” he said. “It’s not a democracy. They don’t share the same values. You know, it’s true — for communist ideology, the truth is irrelevant. It’s only about the revolution. It’s only about maintaining the regime. They will lie or do anything to advance the existence of the regime. We know that. That’s part of our duty to defend America’s interest because they defend Chinese interests, you can be sure of that.”

“Look, the people of China — most of them are really not communists,” Sessions continued. “But the government is run by communists. There are some people trying to exercise their religious faith in China. They do it in houses, hideout, oppressed. They can’t advance economically for being a Christian. We know all of that, and we need to push back on them for that, too. We’re treating China too benignly.”

The former U.S. attorney general said once we get past the pandemic, China needed to be held to account and forced to “play by the rules.”

“[W]e don’t need to back down,” he said. “We’re on the right path. Over the next couple of years, I believe this country can strengthen our economy substantially, and strengthen our national security substantially enough to keep its position in the world and push back against China by simply saying you’re going to play by the rules, or not. If you don’t play by the rules — you’re going to pay a price for it.

Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor