DeSantis calls for deterrence to protect Taiwan as he previews China policy
Ryan King
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) underscored the importance of deterrence to safeguard Taiwan from a Chinese invasion while abroad in Asia.
The governor described Taiwan as “an ally” and a “strategic interest” while maintaining that a core United States objective must be to maintain peace in the region. His comments mark his latest move to burnish his foreign policy positions which remain somewhat untested.
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“The goal should be to deter a military situation from happening,” DeSantis told Nikkei Asia. “If [Chinese President] Xi Jinping thinks that the costs of him launching some type of hostile action outweigh whatever benefit he will receive, then you will not see that happen.”
China has long maintained claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, which has its own independent government and military. Although the U.S. does not formally recognize Taiwan as a nation and publicly adheres to the so-called “One China” policy, it does hold backdoor ties with the island.
DeSantis was coy about whether he would deploy U.S. military force to protect the island but surmised that Xi “clearly wants to take Taiwan at some point.”
“Ultimately, what China respects is strength,” he added. “If you look at where we are at this juncture in the 21st century, what the Soviet Union was to us, that’s really what China represents in terms of the threat to the free world.”
In a separate interview, DeSantis also juxtaposed his position on China with President Joe Biden.
“I think clearly, we don’t have a lot of strength under Biden. But I think fortifying our forces in the Pacific, I think we need more naval strength to be able to project power. And we cannot allow the CCP to produce every critical part of our economy. We rely on them for almost everything,” he told Fox News’s Sean Hannity.
One of his priorities as governor during the current state legislative session is to pass legislation that would impose restrictions on property ownership from seven countries, including China and Russia.
The Florida governor is currently on an overseas trip billed as an “international trade mission” on behalf of Enterprise Florida. His itinerary includes stops in Japan, South Korea, Israel, and the United Kingdom. The stated goal is to bolster Florida’s economic ties abroad, but 2024 undertones loom large.
On Monday, DeSantis met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Earlier Tuesday, he revealed that he met with Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and attended a roundtable with “80 executives from Japan’s largest companies.”
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1650817097243533313?s=20
DeSantis lavished praise on the U.S.’s relationship with Japan, upholding it as a “model” and posited that Europe should follow in its footsteps on military spending.
His remarks come as the Republican base is seemingly wary of foreign interventions and as his top 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump, espouses an “America First” foreign policy.
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Earlier this year, foreign policy caused a political headache for DeSantis. He described the war in Ukraine as a “territorial dispute,” which shocked donors and prominent Republicans. He later clarified that he opposed the war and supports Ukraine.
His overseas trip is giving him an opportunity to showcase his foreign policy chops as he weighs a presidential run.