Fighting China requires decisive action, not talk and cajoling – That’s what I will do as President

President Biden will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week as Gov. Gavin Newsom rolled out the red carpet for the communist leader.

If his administration’s record is any indicator, Biden will be more focused on flattering Xi than holding his regime accountable.

His Cabinet has chased Chinese officials around the globe, only to bow, sing their praises and make concessions when the meetings are finally secured.

The president seems content to manage America’s decline rather than confront China and win this crucial decade.

Time is running out to act and prevent China from overtaking the United States as the world’s leading superpower.

As President, I will restore America’s strength on the world stage and focus our attention and resources on deterring Xi’s Chinese Communist Party – the greatest economic and security threat facing America today.

My goal is clear: we win and they lose.

Both US parties have mistakenly treated China as a friendly competitor and allowed a hostile Marxist regime to exploit our openness and steal our technology, jobs, industries and assets through trade abuse, currency manipulation and slave labor.

This allows Beijing’s defense budget and military to rival Washington’s, putting China on track to surpass us economically.

The wealth and power ceded to Beijing have allowed the Chinese Communist Party to expand its damaging influence around the world, including in Africa, the Mediterranean and the Western Hemisphere.

We must ensure that the United States economy remains the largest and most dynamic in the world.

While China has expanded its influence in our backyard, our foreign policy establishment just talks tough.

The Biden administration claims to be cracking down but continues to seek detente without taking responsibility for China’s spy balloon, COVID-19, cyber breaches, military provocations or abuses against Uyghurs.

Xi’s CCP continues to steal our skills, undermine our economy, and displace the United States on the world stage.

Enough is enough.

While adversaries like Russia, Iran, and North Korea threaten America and must be combated, China is our greatest national security threat.

If you examine the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, who is Russia’s main supporter?

China.

If you look at what is happening in Gaza with Hamas, much of the terrorism is financed by Iran, whose regime ultimately finances itself through black market oil sales to China.

And China supports and protects the totalitarian regime in North Korea.

We must address China’s behavior to effectively counter these other threats.

It is time for a comprehensive, comprehensive restructuring of U.S. national security priorities.

American power must have concrete goals, not unclear missions or misguided plans.

Without clear goals, we cannot waste blood and treasure.

As President, I will act decisively to achieve defined goals.

America will be a steadfast ally to nations that share our interests.

Those who wish to harm us will find no worse enemy.

The threat posed by China requires a government-wide response.

I will stop the flow of American capital and technology that strengthens China’s military.

Our trade policies will protect our workers, supply chains and essential industries.

My Treasury and Commerce secretaries will focus on American interests, not Wall Street’s access to Chinese markets.

I will establish an Office of Economic Security and Competition to prioritize reshoring and friendshoring of critical manufacturing, protect technologies, and reduce dependence on adversaries.

I will protect American workers and innovators from illegal technology transfer and intellectual property theft.

I will align capital with our interests, not those of the Chinese Communist Party.

I will protect our homeland.

As I did in Florida, I will ban Chinese acquisitions of farmland and properties near critical infrastructure, combat espionage and cyber threats, block the influence of the Chinese Communist Party in our institutions and through malicious data use and apps, and establish reciprocity policies , so that China cannot exploit our openings in society to our detriment.

Peace can only be achieved through strength.

While some say that deterring China extends to other parts of the world, my view is a little simpler: If we want to deter China, we should deter China.

I will rebuild America’s military, from conventional weapons to nuclear and space capabilities.

Increased shipbuilding will strengthen our resilience and deterrence, and closer cooperation with regional partners will provide a unified front against Chinese coercion.

I will advocate for a four-ocean Navy to accelerate fleet expansion and lead the rapid construction of additional Virginia-class attack submarines, Arleigh Burke destroyers, amphibious assault ships, and unmanned underwater vehicles.

I will position ground-based missiles with allies in the Indo-Pacific as a “ring of fire” to deter China’s aggression and invest in ports in the region to ensure free and fair access to the seas.

I will support allies and partners in building their defense capabilities as they seek to invest in themselves to secure our shared interests.

My government will focus on how to innovate, produce and outcompete China in future industries.

America will win the 21st century technology race in artificial intelligence, quantum technology, 5G/6G, hypersonics, advanced automation, satellite and sensor technology.

America will lead the free world in exposing the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights abuses, surveillance and censorship.

I will hold China accountable for unfair practices, counter its political influence, and stand up for true American values.

We will stand with those who stand for freedom, from Taiwan to Xinjiang to Hong Kong.

Cooperation requires Beijing to change its behavior, not empty rhetoric.

The responsibility lies with China to stop its aggressive actions as it seeks normalization of relations.

We will treat his words with skepticism until action follows.

The message to China will be clear: the era of appeasement is over.

I will defend our vital national interests and our allies.

With strength and clear intent we will protect our nation.

Vision and leadership will win the day.

My strategy will protect our heritage of freedom, inspire our friends and deter our enemies.

We will shape the 21st century.

We will revive the spirit that makes America exceptional.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is a Republican presidential candidate.