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Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis clashed again over who was stronger on China as governor during the fourth Republican presidential debate earlier this week.
Haley, who emphasized being tough on China early on in the debate, later called for an end to normal trade relations with China until they stop “murdering Americans with fentanyl.” She then said former President Donald Trump was strong on trade with China, but criticized him for not doing more.
DeSantis interjected, calling her remarks “rich.”
“This is rich because when she was governor of South Carolina, she was the number-one ranked governor of bringing the CCP into her state,” adding:
She wrote a love letter to the Chinese ambassador saying how great a friend China is. You can look at it. We put it on our website, rondesantis.com. There’s also a video of her as governor standing in front of a Chinese flag with a Chinese business saying that she now works for them, talking about this Chinese company. So, she’s been very weak on China. Now, here’s the problem, the rhetoric is different, but… One, her donors, these Wall Street liberal donors, they make money in China. They are not going to let her be tough on China, and she will cave to the donor. She will not stand up for you.
Haley then fired back at DeSantis, saying he was mad that Wall Street donors used to support him and now they supported her. She then criticized him over his own record on China, citing a recent report by the Miami Herald that said a refrigerant company in Tampa backed by China has donated $340,000 to DeSantis and committees affiliated with him.
DeSantis repeatedly responded, “It’s an American company.” However, the report said corporate records and court filings showed that a Chinese government-controlled company owned about a third of the refrigerant company, called iGas USA.
Haley then brought up another recent report by the Washington Examiner that said the DeSantis administration provided $90,000 in tax relief to a Chinese company named JinkoSolar in 2020 through his urban job tax credit program. Florida Department of Commerce spokeswoman Rose Hebert said it was a continuation from the previous governor.
DeSantis pointed to a series of bills he signed in May 2023 to limit Chinese influence from spreading in Florida, saying, “I banned China from buying land in the state of Florida.”
“I ejected the Confucius Institute. Nikki Haley brought Confucius Institutes to the universities in South Carolina,” he said. Haley responded, “That’s not true, before adding, “You have a record of lying.”
Undergraduate student Moe Lewis, left, shows her watercolor painting of peony leaves at a traditional Chinese painting class at the Confucius Institute at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 2,