Florida Governor Ron DeSantis invoked former President Ronald Reagan in the Republican debate on Wednesday, arguing that he would follow a “hard power” approach to China.
DeSantis said he’s concerned about China’s military and economic outreach in Latin America, and he touted controversial policies in his state to prevent Chinese citizens from buying land, saying it should be applied nationwide.
Later in the debate, DeSantis said the US has essentially “subcontracted out” too many essential industries to China, calling it the top American adversary “by a country mile.”
China criticism also emerged in attacks on the social media app TikTok, with candidates including former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley saying it is too addictive. She also said the next president needs to do more to pressure China over the fentanyl crisis, saying former President Donald Trump didn’t do enough on that front.
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(Adds additional comments from DeSantis and Haley from third paragraph.)
