Biden won’t be as tough on China: Ex-State Department official
Biden will cave in 'hard and fast' to a 'very different China,' Christian Whiton says
Although the Trump administration has consistently been “getting tougher on China,” U.S. relations with the communist country would look different under a Biden administration according to former State Department official Christian Whiton.
Whiton told FOX Business’ Dagen McDowell on Thursday that he is concerned a Biden administration would not be as tough on China.
Whiton said although Biden surrogates have claimed in “East Asian circles” that the U.S. will continue to be “tough on China” and there is “nothing to worry about,” the former vice president will “cave in hard and fast.”
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“He wants some sort of symbol early on that he has changed diplomacy -- that he has brought back our traditional allies which they always mean to be Germany and France,” Whiton told “Mornings with Maria.”
Whiton went on to say, “I think he is going to want some pageantry out of Xi Jinping. You know, being received in Beijing if he is up for the trip. But, Xi Jinping is not going to sell that for free -- he’ll probably sell that for cheap.”
Whiton also believes that the Biden administration could potentially reduce some tariffs and weapon sales to Taiwan.
“The establishment, the Chamber of Commerce, former Bush chief of staff Josh Bolten already calling for that [reduced tariffs]. So he'll gladly give that in,” Whiton said.
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When asked whether it would be hard to walk away from all the tariffs that President Trump put in place, Whiton noted that Biden's political career prior to being president-elect encompassed establishing “globalism and sending U.S. manufacturing to China."
“The one time Joe Biden was really instrumental in legislation was in giving permanent normal trade relations to China and letting into the World Trade Organization. So I hope he turns over a new leaf and realizes we're dealing with a very different China,” he said.