China
‘That would be a mistake’: Nikki Haley urges Biden not to ditch all Trump foreign policies
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley (R) urged President-elect Joe Biden to not abandon all of outgoing President Donald Trump‘s foreign policies in a Wednesday Washington Post opinion piece, suggesting three of Trump’s policies that he should keep.
In her piece titled, “Nikki Haley: Biden shouldn’t reject all Trump’s foreign policies. Here are three he should keep”, the former South Carolina governor advises that Biden keep aspects of Trump’s policies regarding China, Latin American dictatorships, and Arab-Israeli peace.
Near the beginning of her piece, Haley writes that “Biden is sure to feel strong partisan pressure to reject most, if not all, of Trump’s foreign policy.”
“That would be a mistake,” she adds. “Sweeping away the achievements and strategies of the past four years would endanger American safety and interests.”
Haley goes on to state that she expects to disagree with much of Biden’s policies, then adding, however, that “in the spirit of helping our country, I urge Biden to prioritize continuity and continued progress in three critical areas.”
Haley first touches on China, saying that key aspects of Trump’s “much-needed” policies toward the United States’ foremost rival should be continued. Arguably, Trump has been the most aggressive U.S. president toward China in decades, with his tough rhetoric on trade, jobs, intellectual property, and the novel coronavirus often centering around the East Asian nation.
“Communist China is the most serious global threat the United States faces. It is a strategic competitor with hostile intentions of overtaking us economically and militarily,” she says. “This truth explains why Trump pursued a military buildup, punished Chinese companies for stealing U.S. trade secrets, sanctioned Chinese leaders and firms for their horrific human rights abuses, and strengthened coordination with U.S. allies and partners to hold China accountable.”
“Biden would endanger U.S. interests if he reversed course,” Haley adds.
“The right course is to further limit Chinese access to our companies, telecommunications and universities, as the United States did with the Soviet Union, while building additional military, economic and diplomatic strength,” she continues.
Furthermore, Trump’s former UN ambassador believes that Biden will confront “a critical test” regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty, citing China’s authoritarian actions in Hong Kong as a precedent.
“If Biden fails to push back,” Haley says, “there will be no stopping Chinese communist aggression in Asia and beyond.”
The second of Haley’s suggestions is that the incoming president should “not drop Trump’s pressure on Latin American dictatorships.”
Praising Trump for his policies toward the communist and socialist dictatorships in Cuba and Venezuela respectively, she emphasizes that a “Biden reversal in either country would amount to an embrace of socialism and give a pass to the most monstrous regimes in our hemisphere.”
Haley then clarifies that Biden has been supportive of the victims of these countries’ far-left dictatorships but that the Democratic Party’s left wing would make things difficult.
“Biden’s support for the victims of Cuban communism and Venezuelan socialism would irritate some of his party’s leftist fringe, but their views did not make for successful policy under the Obama administration,” she writes. “It would be no different now. In Latin America, as elsewhere, Biden would do well to stand up to U.S. enemies and stand for U.S. values.”
Lastly, Haley pushes for Biden to continue brokering peace deals between Israel and Arab countries, which will arguably be remembered as one of Trump’s most successful achievements during his tenure in office.
After commending Trump for helping to broker those deals and putting “strong pressure” on Iran, Haley lays a potential path forward for Biden in the Middle East.
“How can Biden foster a deeper peace? Not by caving to Iran or turning on Israel, both of which would fray the nascent Arab-Israeli bonds that still need strengthening,” Haley writes. “The better path is to continue to isolate Iran and encourage harmony between Israel and the Arab states, which now clearly see their common interests. A peaceful Middle East depends on it and is essential to U.S. security.”
Closing her piece, Haley says that it “would be disastrous if [Biden] missed the opportunity because of a partisan desire to reverse the course of his predecessor.”
Haley has long been viewed as a strong contender to become the Republican Party’s nominee for president at some point, with many commentators and experts already placing her near the top of the list of potential 2024 GOP presidential candidates. However, there are reports swirling around that Trump himself may run again in that election to reclaim the seat at the Resolute desk.
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.
China
Chinese National Charged with Exporting Weapons from CA to North Korea
A Chinese national living in California was arrested this week for allegedly orchestrating a plot to ship weapons to North Korea directly from the United States. Shenghua Wen, a 41-year-old illegal migrant, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of two decades in federal prison, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The Daily Caller News Foundation reports that Wen allegedly exported firearms, ammunition and other military items bound for North Korea out of Long Beach, California. In a press release following the arrest, DOJ officials suggested that Wen was acting at the behest of North Korean officials.
“We have arrested a defendant who allegedly acted at the direction of the North Korean government by conspiring to illegally ship firearms, ammunition, and other military equipment to North Korea,” U.S. attorney Martin Estrada stated. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners for stopping this threat and their tireless commitment to the security of our nation.”
“The significance of this arrest and discovery of this scheme cannot be overstated,” FBI Los Angeles assistant director in charge Akil Davis stated. “Not only did the investigative team prevent additional restricted items going to the North Korean regime, but they gathered valuable intelligence for the United States and our allies.”
“The defendant’s alleged attempts to illicitly export firearms and military technology from the United States at the behest of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea constitute an alarming violation of sanctions and export control laws,” special agent in charge Gregory Dunlap of the Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) stated. “OEE is committed to working with our federal partners to identify and disrupt illegal export schemes that undermine regional stability and our national security interests at home and abroad.”
The Daily Caller adds that the number of Chinese nationals illegally crossing into the U.S. reached a peak in fiscal year 2024, according to Customs and Border Protection. Border Patrol agents encountered nearly 38,000 Chinese nationals.
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