Throughout a city corridor with Newsmax TV on Monday, 2024 Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that he wouldn’t welcome China’s Xi Jinping to Florida and “China is a risk to this nation. I believe we have to decouple our economic system from China.”
Co-host Eric Bolling requested, “In a short time…Gov. Newsom cleaned up town of San Francisco in anticipation of President Xi coming to go to. Would you welcome President Xi in Florida?”
DeSantis answered, “No, we wouldn’t try this. I believe that, while you see what occurs, he went over to China and groveled to Xi. After which they do all this — like, San Francisco is a pigsty, however as a result of it’s Xi, then they do all these items, they really clear the feces off the sidewalk, they cleaned up a few of the drug use, all these items. Nevertheless it simply reveals you that’s the boss coming in there that these guys are all genuflect[ing] to. You noticed these CEOs paying $40,000 to have the ability to sit there and dine with him. They did a standing ovation when he gave a speech. That’s not how I roll with this. I believe China is a risk to this nation. I believe we have to decouple our economic system from China. We depend on China for prescribed drugs, issues involving army gear, all these items which can be key to nationwide survival, we’ve obtained to undergo China. Why would we need to put ourselves in that predicament? So, this has occurred over many many years. Lots of people on Wall Avenue made cash. There’s no query. Nevertheless it has weakened this nation and it has strengthened an adversary. We have been promised that if you happen to do most favored nation and put them within the WTO, that China would develop into extra democratic, it’s been the alternative. They’re rather more authoritarian as we speak than they have been 20, 25 years in the past, and their army is way stronger as we speak than it was 20, 25 years in the past.”
He added, “So, not solely would we not welcome, we’ve already taken motion. We banned China from shopping for land within the state of Florida. We kicked out the Confucius Institutes from our universities as a result of we perceive the risk. And so, it’s not precisely one thing — I had one of many [candidates] — I believe it was Haley — who was like attempting to assault — as a result of she actually invited China in as governor. She was the primary governor to have China make investments, together with CCP-backed companies. She tried to say like I used to be concerned, and I’m like, wait a minute, I banned China from shopping for land. That’s not precisely an excellent recruiting pitch for companies if you happen to’re not letting them purchase land.”
Comply with Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett