Columbia: Former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley criticised former President Donald Trump on Tuesday for being too friendly to China while in office and sounded the alarm that a lack of support for Ukraine would "only encourage" China to invade Taiwan.
In a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, Haley, a Republican running against Trump for president, claimed that while Trump was "almost singularly focused" on the US-China trade relationship, he ultimately did "too little about the rest of the Chinese threat."
Haley specifically mentioned that Trump had congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 70th anniversary of the Communist Party's rule in China and that he had failed to rally US allies "against the Chinese threat".
Also Read: US diplomats are forbidden from bringing up the Wagner mutiny - Axios
That conveys the wrong message to the world, according to Haley. Chinese communism needs to be decried, never praised.
Haley's remarks, which her presidential campaign billed as "a major foreign policy speech," were made a fortnight after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Xi in Beijing. There was little sign that either country was willing to budge from positions on issues like trade, Taiwan, the state of human rights in China and Hong Kong, Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea, and Russia's conflict in Ukraine, according to Blinken, who claimed that they had agreed to "stabilise" severely deteriorating US-China relations.
Trump did impose tariffs and other trade limitations on the superpower, as noted by Haley, who claimed that he "deserves credit for upending this bipartisan consensus." However, she went on to say, "Being clear-eyed is just not enough."
Also Read: Pentagon names candidates for Bradley replacement
Trump's opponents are becoming more hostile towards him as he continues to be the undisputed front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated on Tuesday in New Hampshire that, in contrast to Trump, he was "actually going to build the wall," a reference to Trump's 2016 campaign issue that he failed to complete during his first term.
President Joe Biden, according to Haley, has been "much worse" in addressing the dangers she claims China poses to America's economic, domestic, and military security. Haley served as Trump's ambassador to the UN for two years. Additionally, she asserted that China's military buildup and aggression towards Taiwan demonstrate that the country is "preparing its people for war," a conflict that, if unchecked, would involve the US and other international allies.
She declared, "We must act now to preserve peace and avert war." And we need a leader who will mobilise our people to combat this threat from all angles. China's communist regime is a foe. Since the Second World War, this is the most dangerous foreign threat we have encountered.
In a question-and-answer session with reporters, Haley was questioned about remarks made earlier on Tuesday by fellow Republican presidential candidate Francis Suarez, the mayor of Miami. In response to a question from radio host Hugh Hewitt about the primarily Muslim group that China has been accused of oppressing, Suarez said, "What's a Uygher?"
The allegations of sexual abuse and religious discrimination against the Uyghurs, according to Haley, could amount to "genocide," she said, adding, "The fact that the whole world is ignoring it, is shameful." Suarez wasn't mentioned in her response. Suarez, on the other hand, later tweeted that he "well aware of the suffering of the Uyghurs in China" but "didn't recognise the pronunciation."
In her speech, Haley also criticised Biden for being "far too slow and weak in helping Ukraine," stating that a lack of military aid to stop Russia's invasion there would "only encourage China to invade Taiwan as soon as possible," escalating tensions on the global stage.
The allegations of sexual abuse and religious discrimination against the Uyghurs, according to Haley, could amount to "genocide," she said, adding, "The fact that the whole world is ignoring it, is shameful." Suarez wasn't mentioned in her response. Suarez, on the other hand, later tweeted that he "well aware of the suffering of the Uyghurs in China" but "didn't recognise the pronunciation."
In her speech, Haley also criticised Biden for being "far too slow and weak in helping Ukraine," stating that a lack of military aid to stop Russia's invasion there would "only encourage China to invade Taiwan as soon as possible," escalating tensions on the global stage.
Also Read: Russian Senator Alleges Foreign Agents Targeting Balkan Nation After Dual Mass Shootings
Trump and DeSantis, two of Haley's Republican rivals, have come under fire for their own remarks about Ukraine. Trump and DeSantis concurred that protecting Ukraine is not a top priority for US national security. DeSantis also had to retract his claim that the conflict in Ukraine between Russia and its allies is a "territorial dispute."
A new $300 million military aid package for Ukraine that includes additional drone munitions and a variety of other weapons was approved by Biden last month. Since Russia's attack on February 24, 2022, the US has provided more than $37.6 billion in weapons and other equipment to Ukraine.