On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “Evening Edit,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) said that China is probably looking to move on Hong Kong and Taiwan because President Joe Biden not holding China accountable on the origins of COVID-19 and the withdrawal from Afghanistan have “put them in a situation where they have a position of strength.” And predicted that China will undercut any financial leverage the U.S. has against the Taliban.
Malliotakis said, “I’m not sure that Beijing has much respect for the president, and that is definitely a problem. First, you saw them unleash a virus on the world and the president refuses to hold them accountable, to demand the origins be fully and thoroughly investigated to determine that it came from the Wuhan lab, then he re-enters the Paris Accord, which gives China and India an upper hand and doesn’t require them to be on a level playing field as America. And now, they’ve been watching everything that’s happened in Afghanistan, this hasty, disastrous withdrawal, and I’m sure they’re thinking about taking steps with regards to Taiwan and Hong Kong, and that’s what their priority is right now. And unfortunately, the president has put them in a situation where they have a position of strength.”
She added, “When Secretary Blinken says that they have leverage against the Taliban, I don’t know what leverage he’s talking about, quite frankly. Because if it’s monetary leverage, China’s going to fill in the void.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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