The Biden government declared China a most serious competitor, while two-term Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley said the PRC would end up “on the ash heap of history.” Same threat, but what a big difference!
Competitors are forces that have little difference in power in their own fields and advance toward the same goal within a framework of rules.
How, then, can a power that does not give its people the right to vote and destroys its people with tanks be compared to the most democratically governed country in the world? How can a country that commits genocide against an ethnic group – Uyghurs — be compared with the best example of people living together peacefully despite different religions and cultures? How can a country that changes the current international system and embodies corruption and slavery compete with a country that stands for rights and justice? How can a power that violates every law in the book and caused Covid-19 have the honor of being considered a competitor of the United States?
Recognizing China as a competitor is a high honor for Xi and the CCP, but an insult to the power, honor, and values of the United States.
I think Nikki Haley’s comparison of China to the former Soviet Union and her statement that it would land on the “ash heap of history” were made with this in mind. She accurately defined China as an enemy: “Russia started the biggest war in Europe in 75 years. In Communist China, we face the strongest and most disciplined enemy in history.”
Nikki Haley talks about the future and does not ignore the threat that China carries. This point is clear from her statement regarding the Beijing Winter Olympics:
“And if we don’t boycott, if we don’t do something to really call them out, mark my words: Taiwan is next. And if they take Taiwan, it’s all over, because they will think that gives them free rein to grab any territory, not in the region, but anywhere they want to go.”
It is clear that China is not and cannot be a competitor of the United States, so is it not an enemy? Some consider it futile or reckless to engage with such a force, given the strength of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese market. However, the truth is that when the enemy is present, what you call it and your attitude toward it cannot change its nature; it can only cause it to take action sooner or later. Wouldn’t it be advantageous for the other side if the enemy were to act sooner, before it reaches its strongest stage?
A timid and apologetic attitude toward China is a sign of weakness that encourages the enemy. This has been clear during Joe Biden’s time in office. At the Alaska Summit, the Chinese delegation, for the first time in front of the world press, said to the United States, “You are not qualified to lecture us on human rights.” For the first time ever, Xi Jinping issued a war threat to the U.S. president saying, “don’t play with fire.” China recently kept a spy balloon flying over the United States for seven days, breaking a record held since World War II in violation of American sovereignty.
For a crime that violated America sovereignty, Secretary of State Blinken’s statement that “we can’t accept that” response was very weak. Saying “please stop, I disagree” to a bully who touched your girlfriend is not polite. It’s stupid and will never deter the bully.
Although China is widely perceived as a threat to the United States, the threat has yet to be properly named. A president who cannot properly call China an enemy by its nature, either because of a lack of intelligence or courage, will not be able to make the right policy choices regarding China, take the right steps, or may even miss the opportunity to take timely action when the time comes.
Biden has said, “China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man.” China has already eaten your launch. Didn’t you notice the factories have all moved to China? Now it wants to eat you! Anyone who does not realize this is incapable of protecting, let alone strengthening, the United States.
At a recent rally, she stated, “Realizing this vision won’t be easy. It will take an unparalleled level of commitment from all of us. It requires faith and a willingness to move past the status quo. And it will require doing some things we’ve never done.”
China’s spokesmen are right when they say that China is not the China of one hundred years ago. It is no longer an old, sick man from the Far-East. Now it is a toxic tumor. It is doomed to extinction, but until then, it will continue to be the source of threats and disasters, such as debris of rocket boosters, the Wuhan Lab and internment camps.
Decoupling with China is not an easy process, but no matter how painful it may be, urgent surgery is needed to remove this tumor.
Today is not the time to reiterate that China is a threat; it is time to openly declare China the enemy and put it in its place. The spy balloon incident alone is enough to do so. From this perspective, Nikki Haley is reasonable in saying that “A strong military doesn’t start wars. A strong military prevents wars!”
To stand firm against China, we do not need men like Joe Biden, who praise the Chinese president as a “smart guy,” call him “straightforward,” and tolerate the regime’s atrocities as “culture.” We need “tough-as-nails” politicians who speak the truth.
Kok Bayraq is a Uyghur political dissident and journalist who left China after ‘trouble with the authorities’ and writes under a pseudonym to speak freely on the Uyghur genocide.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.