Haley says Trump ‘showed moral weakness’ on China foreign policy

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a 2024 presidential candidate, on Tuesday criticized former President Trump's approach to foreign relations with China.

Haley served as ambassador to the United Nations under Trump. She is trailing in the GOP primary polls behind Trump, Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence.

“He did not put us on a stronger military foothold in Asia," she said during a discussion at the American Enterprise Institute. "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."

In addition, Haley, also a former South Carolina governor, argued Trump was "almost singularly focused on our trade relationship with China" but did "too little about the rest" of the threat posed by China.

"He 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."

Haley was also critical of President Biden's foreign policy record on China.

“Mark my words," she said. "He is going to keep ignoring the Chinese threat. We’d have wasted four more years."

She argued that Biden's record on China is "much worse" compared to Trump.

“China was military stronger – militarily stronger – when President Trump left office then when he entered," Haley said. "That's bad but Joe Biden's record is much worse. The list of President Biden's failures in China is long. He has refused to seriously investigate China's cover-up of COVID origins. He has done little to stop the expansion of China's footprint on our homeland. He has failed to address China's major role in the fentanyl crisis."