During the third Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley butted heads over the issue of China.
“If China’s able to be the world’s leading superpower, that will affect you and your family in ways that will be very bad,” DeSantis said during the debate. “They will export authoritarianism all around the world as the cost of doing business. They will impose things like social credit scores and internet monitoring…this is, to this generation, what the Soviet Union was to the post-WWII generation.”
“She [Haley] welcomed them into South Carolina, gave them land near a military base, wrote the Chinese ambassador a love letter saying what a great friend they were,” DeSantis added. “In Florida, I banned China from buying land in this state…and we kicked the Confucious institutes out of our universities. We’ve recognized the threat and we’ve acted swiftly and decisively.”
Nikki Haley welcomed them into South Carolina, gave them land near a military base, wrote the Chinese ambassador a love letter saying what a great friend they were.
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) November 9, 2023
In Florida, I banned China from buying land. pic.twitter.com/HYhtYKrMZe
Earlier this year, as Townhall covered, DeSantis released his economic plan, which included multiple measures to protect Floridians from the Chinese government. Previously, he had signed legislation prohibiting Chinese citizens from purchasing land in the state.
This week, Haley shared several reports on X, formerly known as Twitter, that claim that DeSantis has “hidden” previous efforts to “lure” Chinese companies to Florida.
DeSantis’ campaign shared that Haley is “lying” about DeSantis because “she can’t defend her record on China.”
Nikki Haley is lying about Ron DeSantis because she can't defend her record on China.
— Never Back Down (@NvrBackDown24) November 9, 2023
The Washington Post Fact Checker said there is no evidence to support Haley’s claim that DeSantis was involved in recruiting Chinese companies. #GOPdebate pic.twitter.com/GPzr7CyW2H
Later in the debate, DeSantis indicated that he would support restricting the popular app Tik Tok, which has ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The app is used by millions of children across the country.
“My policy on China and the Chinese Communist Party is very simple: we win, they lose,” DeSantis said. "Military deterrence, yes, economic decoupling, but also their role in our culture. If we ignore that, we're not going to be able to win the fight."
Ron DeSantis: "My policy on China and the Chinese Communist Party is very simple: we win, they lose."
— Never Back Down (@NvrBackDown24) November 9, 2023
"Military deterrence, yes, economic decoupling, but also their role in our culture. If we ignore that, we're not going to be able to win the fight." #GOPdebate pic.twitter.com/GvH2vrDsTV