Republican California Rep. Devin Nunes said Sunday the Biden administration appears oblivious to Chinese expansion as it creates “a series of lily pads all over the globe.”
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“So what they’re doing is they’re creating a series of lily pads all over the globe, including in the South China Sea so that they can project military power.”
“And meanwhile, the question is the Biden administration acts like, ‘Oh, my god, we didn’t know anything about this.’ That’s not true. Where the hell have you been?” Nunes asked on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” (RELATED: China Warns State Department To ‘Stop All Forms’ Of Official Outreach To Taiwan)
The congressman compared the apparent unawareness to “Afghanistan where they said they didn’t know about the Taliban’s association with al-Qaida, and the Taliban wouldn’t take over the government of Afghanistan.” But Nunes said the situation with China is “much more dangerous because this is an existential threat to our country.”
Nunes said China has a two-fold strategy of emboldening its military while “they’re also trying to exert economic power and become the world’s reserve currency.”
Chinese expansionism should surprise no one because “this is a serious problem that has been growing right in front of our eyes. Nobody should be surprised what the Chinese are doing,” the congressman noted, saying they have utilized both “soft power and hard power” to exert their influence over first their region and now the world.
Communist leader Xi Jinping said in July at a celebration for the 100-year anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party that the “Chinese people will absolutely not allow any foreign force to bully, oppress or enslave us.” (RELATED: ‘Biden Is Too Weak’: Ted Cruz Says Chance of ‘Chinese Amphibious Assault on Taiwan Has Increased Tenfold’ After Afghanistan Withdrawal”)
US Vice President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping toast during a State Luncheon for China hosted by US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sept. 25, 2015 at the Department of State in Washington, DC. (Photo by PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Dozens of Chinese jets have flown over Taiwan repeatedly and the Chinese military conducted beach landing and assault drills near Taiwan in October.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged Sept. 19 that China is committing genocide within its borders but that nonetheless, the U.S. must still work with the Chinese on climate change.