Nikki Haley says Trump lacked ‘moral clarity’ in dealing with China’s Xi

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Republican presidential nominee and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley has criticized Donald Trump for being soft 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 had “almost single-mindedly focused” on the US-China trade relationship and neglected other important areas such as security and foreign policy.

“He did not put us on a strong military base in Asia. He did not stop the flow of American technology and investment into the Chinese military. “He has not effectively united our allies against the Chinese threat,” Haley said in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute think-tank in Washington.

Haley, one of more than a dozen Republican presidential candidates, said the former president also lacked “moral clarity” in his talks with Xi.

“He also showed moral weakness in his enthusiasm to befriend President Xi. Trump congratulated the Communist Party on the 70th anniversary of its victory over China. It sent the wrong message to the world.”

Trump launched a trade war with China in his second year in office. But he did not adopt tough policies in areas such as security until his last year when he blamed China for the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Haley credited Trump with building a bipartisan consensus on what lawmakers see as a threat from China, “even the trade deal he signed failed when China failed to fulfill its commitments,” he said.

Haley also criticized the Biden administration, which she said is ignoring the threat from China. In the wake of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing, he said communication was important but the Biden team was “running away from China” and engaging more in appeasement.

“Last week’s visit to Blinken was a golden invitation for more Chinese aggression,” Haley said.

Most Republican presidential candidates are expected to take a tough stance on China, but Haley is the first to deliver a specific speech on the issue.

On Taiwan, he said the US should do more to foster resistance to raise China’s potential cost of attacking the island, including warning that Washington would respond with “full-blown economic coupling”. Will give

Asked by the Financial Times whether she agreed with Biden, who has warned China that he would order the military to defend Taiwan from unprovoked aggression, Haley suggested the president was sending the wrong message.

“We need to let them know that we are going to defend Taiwan by sending equipment, ammunition and now training. There is no greater message than to strengthen Taiwan and work with our allies to ensure that we can send to China.”

Haley also criticized US allies in Europe, saying they are “even further behind” the US in recognizing the threat China poses. “It’s time to shake them out of their slumber.”

Haley said the US should put more pressure on China on issues like fentanyl. Washington has accused China of allowing its companies to export chemicals used to make the drug to produce fentanyl in Mexico.

Haley said if elected she would end the “permanent normal trade relationship” status that allows China to trade freely with the United States. He added that such a threat could be used as leverage on other issues, including the removal of alleged electronic surveillance posts in Cuba.