Senior lawmakers are expressing concern that the US is projecting “weakness” after a new report revealed that Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Biden he plans to take over Taiwan soon.
Xi told Biden during last month's APEC summit in San Francisco, California that China would “reunify” with Taiwan, but the timing has not yet been determined, according to NBC News.
The Chinese president added that he preferred Taiwan to be taken over “peacefully” rather than by force, according to three U.S. officials.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who serves as the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called the report “beyond troubling.”
“For Communist China: If you believe you can use force to destroy the world order without any consequences, then you will make Putin's decision to invade Ukraine seem wise,” he said in a statement to DailyMail. com.
Joe Biden and Jinping met on Wednesday for the first time in more than a year for high-risk talks in an attempt to bury the hatchet amid dangerously escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who serves as the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called the report “beyond troubling.”
The top Republican pledged to work with his Democratic colleagues to first push through a “robust” defense aid package for Taiwan and also develop “pre-invasion” sanctions against China.
He said imposing “hellish sanctions” on China would deter the country from conquering Taiwan.
The South Carolina senator added that “China appears to see weakness” when it comes to the Biden-led United States.
Another top Republican, Rep. Mike Waltz, expressed concerns that the Biden administration is projecting weakness.
“China’s dictator came to American soil and told Biden to his face that he was taking Taiwan,” Waltz, R-Florida, wrote on X.
“The world will not survive another five years of this WEAKNESS in the White House!” he continued.
Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in mid-November for the first time in over a year for high-risk talks to try to bury the hatchet amid dangerously escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing.
The two leaders met for four hours at a historic home outside San Francisco.
Their meeting began with a warm, double-folded handshake and a declaration from Xi that the world is “big enough” for both countries, despite years of increasing rhetoric and provocations.
“China-US relations have never been smooth and always face problems of one kind or another,” Xi said through a translator when he met Biden.
“I have always found our discussions to be straightforward and open and have always valued them,” Biden told Xi after years of telling U.S. audiences that he had spent more time with the Chinese autocrat than any other U.S. leader.
China's dictator came to American soil and told Biden to his face that he would take Taiwan.
The world will not survive another five years of this WEAKNESS in the White House! https://t.co/vUplpFKGsJ
– Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) December 20, 2023
Rep. Mike Waltz says he doesn't “buy” the administration's strategy in dealing with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Beijing's war games were launched as part of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's delicate mission to bolster her country's dwindling diplomatic alliances in Central America and bolster its U.S. support
The White House downplayed the report when asked about it during a call with reporters on Wednesday.
“I will not go into the details of the discussion between the two leaders,” responded John Kirby, National Security Council strategic communications coordinator. I think you can understand that I won't read this – this private conversation.
He continued that Xi had “publicly and clearly expressed his wishes for reunification.” This isn’t – this isn’t anything different or new.”
Kirby added that Biden has made it “clear” to Xi that the US still adheres to the one-China policy and does not support Taiwan independence.
The Jimmy Carter-era “One China policy,” which remains in effect today, recognizes that there is only one Chinese government and that Taiwan is not an independent or sovereign state.
However, Congress also passed the Taiwan Relations Act. The legislation guaranteed that the US would protect and help defend the island – which is why the US sells them weapons.
“We also do not advocate unilaterally changing the status quo, and certainly not forcibly changing it. And as the President has said, there is no reason for there to be confrontations,” Kirby concluded.