Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley attacked former President Trump Tuesday over his policy on China, saying he “showed moral weakness” during meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
In a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, the former U.N. ambassador gave Trump credit for “making both parties take off their blinders” on China, but said he didn’t go far enough.
“Trump was almost singularly focused on our trade relationship with China … but Trump did too little about the rest of the Chinese threat,” Haley said.
“He did not put us on a stronger military foothold in Asia. He did not stop the flow of American technology and investment into the Chinese military. He did not effectively rally our allies against the Chinese threat. Even the trade deal he signed came up short when China predictably failed to live up to its commitments,” she said.
Haley’s speech Tuesday continued her attacks on Trump as the GOP primary field prepares for the Iowa caucuses next spring. The first debate for the group, now more than a dozen strong, is scheduled for August.
“[Trump] also showed moral weakness in his zeal to befriend President Xi. Trump congratulated the Communist Party on its 70th anniversary of conquering China,” Haley said.
“That sent a wrong message to the world. Chinese communism must be condemned, never congratulated,” she said.
Maintaining an average of 4 percent support, Haley has come in fourth in recent national GOP primary polls behind Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former Vice President Mike Pence.
She said that while Trump’s actions were “bad,” President Biden’s are “much worse.”
Haley said Biden has failed to handle China’s role in fentanyl distribution and has failed to stop Chinese commercial interests from buying property in the U.S.
“Mark my words. [Biden] is going to keep ignoring the Chinese threat. We’d have wasted four more years,” she said.