Republican presidential nominee Nikki Haley expressed concern on Sunday when she suggested China was “preparing for war” with the United States, noting how it has built up its military in recent years.
Haley, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, explained that while China had expanded its military presence, the US was complacent by comparison.
She outlined a similar comparison of the two countries’ military, noting that China had the largest naval fleet in the world, with the US firmly in second place.
“If you look at the military situation, they now have the largest naval fleet in the world,” Haley said Fox news.
‘They have 340 ships, we have 293. They will have 400 in two years, we will not have 350 in two decades. They have started developing hypersonic missiles. We’re only just getting started.’
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley shared his concerns about China’s military, stressing that the country has been preparing for war for years
Members of the Chinese Navy stand on the deck of the guided-missile destroyer Suzhou
Haley said China’s fleet is expected to expand to 400 ships in the next two years, while America’s will not even reach 350 ships in the next two decades.
China is also said to have been developing hypersonic missiles, while the US is still lagging behind in that area.
Haley pointed out that China’s military progress seems to be in stark contrast to the rise of the “woke culture” within the US military.
“They are modernizing their military, our military is taking gender pronoun classes,” she said. “Look what they’re doing in cyber, artificial intelligence, space — they’re ahead of us.”
In a speech last week outlining her policy on China, Haley had strong words describing the country as “much more than just a ‘competitor’ – Communist China is an enemy. We need to stop wasting time,’ she said.
Last week, Haley, a former US ambassador to the UN, presented a proposal to address the threat from China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with military officers and troops stationed in northwestern China
Haley outlined a similar comparison of two countries’ military, noting how China had the largest naval fleet in the world, with the US firmly in second place
She described Beijing as the “most dangerous foreign threat we have faced since World War II.”
Haley proposed limiting trade relations with China and tightening restrictions on Chinese investment in the US.
“We’ve tried sanctions, but they don’t work. We have to step up the pressure. As president, I will urge Congress to revoke permanent normal trade relations until the flow of fentanyl ceases,” Haley said during a speech to the American Enterprise Institute, a right-wing think tank in Washington.
Some Republicans in Congress have introduced bills to end the preferential trade status China has enjoyed for decades and require annual presidential approval to receive preferential trade and tariff terms that other approved countries receive.
“If China wants to return to normal trade, it has to stop killing Americans,” she said.
‘They have 340 ships, we have 293. They will have 400 in two years, we will not have 350 in two decades. They have started developing hypersonic missiles. We’re just getting started,” Haley said
Haley served as the US ambassador to the UN from 2017 to 2018 under the Trump administration
China is a major producer of the chemicals needed to make fentanyl, which is often smuggled across the US-Mexico border.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse says fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid 50-100 times more potent than morphine, has contributed to a surge in drug overdose deaths in the US. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 80,000 Americans will die from opioid-related overdoses in 2022.
US officials say the fentanyl issue has been a top priority in talks with Beijing, even as relations between the geopolitical rivals are at their lowest point in decades.
They say the Chinese government has not cooperated in a crackdown on the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals or money laundering related to human trafficking in recent years.
But Beijing has countered that Washington should stop using the fentanyl crisis as a pretext to penalize Chinese companies, and China’s state media has repeatedly said addiction and demand for the drug are domestic problems in the US.
The Chinese embassy had strong words in response to criticizing Haley for smearing and shifting blame.
“Presuring American companies to leave China goes against economic laws and will ultimately harm everyone’s interests,” a spokesman said.
“Only those who attract attention in the election campaign by smearing and shedding will end up on the ash heap of history.”
Haley urged immediate action, stressing that waiting any longer to deal with China would simply mean “China is trading with the US today.”
“The way we should deal with China is [to] don’t look at them tomorrow because if we keep waiting to deal with them tomorrow, they will deal with us today,” she explained.
Haley served as the US ambassador to the UN from 2017 to 2018 under the Trump administration.
During her tenure, she was an outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party.
Several candidates vying for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, with polls suggesting Hayley ranks fourth, have taken a confrontational stance on China.
Haley appears to be raising the bar by pushing forward a series of aggressive policy proposals.
Haley, who is in the single digits in all polls, also vowed to close a path to the export of certain sensitive technologies to China from the United States.
Currently, the U.S. Department of Commerce must grant waivers to companies to send certain technologies, such as microchips, to China.
Haley wrote in an op-ed last week that her administration would no longer grant such waivers.
She has tried to use foreign policy as a way to differentiate herself in a crowded Republican field, and her tough stance on China could push her rivals to take tougher stances as well.