On Tuesday’s broadcast of NewsNation’s “The Hill,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) argued that the U.S. should ask China “what is it that we can do to make trade better and to enhance your trade such that, maybe in exchange, we can get you to agree not to sell dual-use parts” to Russia.
Paul said, “Everybody wants the United States to be strong enough to respond to any peer competitor like China or Russia, and we should be strong enough to defend ourselves and to deter attacks. But we shouldn’t forget that diplomacy’s important as well. I want an ambassador to China that talks about more trade. When Janet Yellen and Blinken went to China under Biden, they went over there and they shook their fist and they insulted the Chinese and told them to quit selling dual-use parts to Russia to use in the war. I would do the opposite.”
He continued, “I would go to China and say, what is it that we can do to make trade better and to enhance your trade such that, maybe in exchange, we can get you to agree not to sell dual-use parts to Ukraine? So, it needs to be more carrot and stick. We’ve got plenty of stick, but nobody offering carrot. Trade with China, as well as trade with the world, is good for the American consumer. It’s good for prosperity. We all grow richer. Trade is not one-sided. This is where I disagree with Donald Trump. It’s not a lose situation with China. Everything we buy from China, we want the product more than we want our cash. That’s the way trade works. As long as it’s voluntary, trade is good.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
