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Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has criticized Donald Trump for being weak on China and showing “moral weakness” in his dealings with President Xi Jinping.
Haley, who served as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, said the former president was “almost exclusively focused” on U.S.-China trade relations while ignoring other key areas such as security and foreign policy.
“He didn’t give us a stronger military foothold in Asia. He didn’t stop the flow of American technology and investment into the Chinese military. He didn’t effectively unite our allies against the Chinese threat,” Haley said at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank. said when speaking.
Haley, one of more than a dozen Republican presidential candidates, said the former president also lacked “moral clarity” in his interactions with Xi.
“His keenness to befriend President Xi also shows moral weakness. Trump congratulated the 70th anniversary of the communist conquest of China. This sends the wrong message to the world.”
Trump launched a trade war against China in his second year in office. But it was only in the final year that he blamed China for the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and adopted tougher policies in areas such as security.
While Haley praised Trump for his bipartisan consensus on what lawmakers see as a threat from China, “even the trade deals he signed fell short when China predictably failed to deliver on its commitments,” she says.
Haley also slammed the Biden administration for ignoring threats from China. After Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s visit to Beijing, she said communication was important, but the Biden team was “fearful of China” and adopted more appeasement policies.
“Blinken’s visit last week was a gilded invitation to more aggression from China,” Haley said.
Most Republican presidential candidates are expected to take a tough stance on China, but Haley was the first to speak specifically on the issue.
On Taiwan, she said the United States should do more to strengthen deterrence to increase the potential cost of a Chinese attack on the island, including warning Washington would respond with “comprehensive economic cooperation”.
Asked by the Financial Times whether she agreed with Biden, Haley said the president was sending the wrong message. Biden has warned China that he will order the military to defend Taiwan from unprovoked attacks.
“We need to let them know that we will defend Taiwan by sending equipment, ammunition, and training immediately. The biggest message we can send to China is to strengthen Taiwan and work with our allies to ensure they do this.”
Haley also criticized U.S. allies in Europe, saying they were “further behind” the U.S. in recognizing the threat China posed. “It’s time to wake them up from their slumber.”
Haley said the U.S. should put more pressure on China on issues such as fentanyl. Washington has accused China of allowing its companies to export chemicals used to make fentanyl to Mexico.
Haley said that if elected, she would revoke the “permanent normal trade relationship” status that allows China to trade freely with the United States. She added that the threat could be used as leverage to address other issues, including the removal of so-called electronic surveillance posts in Cuba.