What will President Trump do with China in his second term? Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) discussed his vision of how to deal with the Chinese during a weekend appearance on Fox News, saying, "This is a new sheriff, a different sheriff, and we are going to play this game completely differently than the previous administration."
Rep. Gimenez first stated that Trump should tell Chinese President Xi Jinping that "he needs to establish fair trade policies, not only with the United States but around the world. So that is the first thing, and if he does not do that, then I think we are going to have to impose a lot of tariffs."
Additionally, he suggested Trump should also get China to stop manufacturing the ingredients for fentanyl, which is often smuggled into the United States via Mexico and kills thousands of Americans every year.
"97% of the chemicals needed to make fentanyl are actually produced in China, and by the way, they are illegal to sell in China, but they incentivize the production of those chemicals for exports. So that tells you everything you need to know about China," Rep. Gimenez added.
The Florida Congressman also noted that Chinese trade policies often resemble debt-trapping for the client state, as "they go about trying to corner markets and subsidize markets, and then basically, you are subservient. You are now beholden to the Chinese Communist Party for this."
The host further noted that President-elect Trump invited Xi to his inauguration in January, but he is unlikely to appear. Such a refusal, the host noted, would likely "put Xi in a box."
Gimenez agreed, saying that in addition to putting the Chinese President on the backfoot, "it is also signaling that this is going to change. We have had Biden Administration official after Biden Administration official go to China to try and say, 'please, pretty please, be nice to us' and all that. And this is a signal they know: "Come over here and know this is a new sheriff, a different sheriff, and we are going to play this game completely differently than the previous administration."
