President Joe Biden is being tested with both China and Russia, Sen. Ron Johnson said Friday, and while he hopes Biden’s up to the challenge, the Wisconsin Republican said he has his doubts, particularly when it comes to the connections between the president’s son and China.
“(China is) our biggest threat,” Johnson said on Fox News’ “America Reports,” pointing out that former President Donald Trump was well aware of that, while Biden has voiced his doubts in the past.
“This is the world’s second-largest economy and my concern, and it has been my concern as we are doing our investigation,” the senator added. “In terms of foreign entanglements about Hunter Biden, we haven’t unraveled all of those. We don’t have a clue what China might know about Joe Biden’s activity, Hunter Biden’s activity.
“They may be using it as blackmail and how that might impact our foreign policy under (our) relationship with China. So it was unfortunate that President Biden was elected, and we have these entanglements, but that is where we are.”
Meanwhile, the White House needs to engage in a show of force against China when it comes to the possibility that it may try to take Taiwan back under its wing, said Johnson.
“We need the show of force in terms of the freedom of navigation operations not only in the South China Sea and in the Pacific, but also in the Black Sea in relation to what Russia is doing in Ukraine as well,” Johnson said. “We need to make sure that we maintain a strong military, and I believe you achieve peace through strength. That’s what Trump achieved over the past four years. I think that worked to the United States’ benefit.”
Johnson’s comments come as the U.S. military is warning that China is accelerating its actions to take control of Taiwan, an island democracy seen as a likely trigger that could start a superpower war between the United States and China.
China has become more aggressive in recent years with Taiwan and with its sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, while also becoming more confrontational with the United States, hurling sharp criticism at Secretary of State Antony Blinken in last month’s talks in Alaska.
The Biden administration could also be forced to choose between abandoning Taiwan or risking a large-scale war with China, even though the United States has pledged for years to help the island defend itself.
Meanwhile, there can be no illusions about China and its actions, said Johnson.
“A couple of decades ago, when we allowed China into the World Trade Organization, we all hoped for the best,” he said. “We were really counting on the fact that as China became more prosperous, its people would want more goods and they would tend more toward freedom and democracy. “
But that hasn’t happened, Johnson continued.
“There can be no illusions at this point,” he said. “They have all kinds of human rights (with the) abuses against the Uyghurs. It is a malign actor. We need to treat it that way.”
Source: Newmax
