Haley, DeSantis tangle over China

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis clashed over China at the third Republican presidential debate Wednesday.

DeSantis took aim at Haley’s relationship with China during her tenure as governor of South Carolina, accusing her of writing “the Chinese ambassador a love letter.”

“She welcomed them into South Carolina gave [China] land near a military base, wrote the Chinese ambassador a love letter saying what a great friend they were,” DeSantis said. 

“I banned China from buying land in this state. And we kicked out adversities, and we kicked the Confucius Institutes out of our universities. We’ve recognized the threat, and we’ve acted swiftly and decisively,” he added.

Haley similarly targeted DeSantis’s record on China, pointing to the presence of manufacturers of Chinese military planes in Florida. 

“Ron, you are the chair of your economic development agency that as of last week said Florida is the ideal place for Chinese businesses,” Haley said. “Not only that, you have a company that is a manufacturer of Chinese military planes. You have it,” she continued, claiming the company was expanding two training sites at two airports in Florida. 

DeSantis responded by saying that he abolished the agency.

“And of course, we banned China from buying land,” he said. “Not exactly a great recruiting pitch if you’re banning them from purchasing land at all.” 

The clash between Haley and DeSantis on stage follows a series of attacks their campaigns have lobbed at each other in recent weeks. Haley has increased her standing in the polls, threatening DeSantis’s second place perch.

Both candidates have lagged well behind former President Trump in polls nationally and in early voting states.