Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has criticized former President and rival 2024 GOP primary candidate Donald Trump for his policy on China, accusing him of showing “moral weakness” in his dealings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, The Hill reports.
What Happened: In a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, Haley acknowledged Trump’s role in making both parties more aware of China’s threat but argued that he didn’t go far enough.
She criticized Trump for his focus on trade relations with China, while neglecting other aspects of the Chinese threat, such as military foothold in Asia, the flow of American technology and investment into the Chinese military, and rallying allies against China.
Haley also accused Trump of showing “moral weakness” in his attempts to befriend President Xi, particularly when he congratulated the Communist Party on its 70th anniversary of conquering China, according to The Hill.
“He did not effectively rally our allies against the Chinese threat,” she argued, adding that this sent a wrong message to the world, as Chinese communism should be condemned, not congratulated.
See Also: US Aims To Thwart Xi Jinping’s AI Ambitions As China Lures Billionaires Into Race
Why It Matters: Haley’s criticisms of Trump’s China policy come in the context of ongoing tensions between the US and China. As Benzinga reported, Trump has previously alleged that Biden’s actions regarding Russia would be influenced by China’s interests.
Trump has also mocked Biden’s interactions with China, claiming that President Xi is laughing at the current U.S. leadership, according to a Benzinga report from February.
In related news, it was recently reported that during Trump’s administration, U.S. officials tracked employees from Chinese telecom giants Huawei Technologies and ZTE entering and exiting facilities in Cuba suspected of housing Chinese eavesdropping operations.
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