‘Clearly the way the world has gone the last two years has benefits to China,’ the Florida governor and presidential candidate said.
WASHINGTON—Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis warned on Oct. 27 that China is “the key player” behind the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel.
Appearing at an event hosted by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, in conjunction with The Epoch Times, Mr. DeSantis struck a hawkish tone toward Beijing, calling it a “key player” behind the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza Strip.
“The CCP is keeping both Iran and Russia afloat financially,” Mr. DeSantis said in his speech, using the acronym for the Chinese Communist Party. “China’s purchasing massive amounts of Iranian oil on the black market, thereby enriching the mullahs and Russia is selling China gas and much, much more. And that is bolstering Russia’s war machine.”
Mr. DeSantis went on to say that the protracted conflict between Ukraine and Russia since February 2022 “will ultimately benefit China because it will distract America and it will deplete our already dwindling Western weapons and ammunition stockpiles.”
And while the United States will support Israel in defending itself, he believes that China “like[s] the Hamas-Israel conflict.”
“Clearly the way the world has gone the last two years has benefits to China,” he said. “There’s no question.”
“The threat posed by the CCP requires our primary focus and attention right now. They are the first truly peer competitor that we have dealt with in our lifetimes.”
The Biden administration has relaxed or failed to enforce sanctions on Iran, which has given drones to Russia and exports oil to China. Mr. DeSantis noted that Russia has been selling China gas and “much, much more.”
He blamed “bad decisions made by America’s ruling class” for the economic leverage China now has over the U.S. economy, noting that the United States had given China most-favored-nation trading status and allowed Beijing to be part of the World Trade Organization.
He blamed “bad decisions made by America’s ruling class” for the economic leverage China now has over the U.S. economy, noting that the United States had given China most-favored-nation trading status and allowed Beijing to be part of the World Trade Organization.
By Jackson Richman, Eva Fu and Jan Jekielek
