J.D. Vance was Donald Trump’s running mate, and the Ohio senator has echoed the former president’s tough stance on China.
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Vance called China the “biggest threat” to the United States and said Washington’s continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia is distracting the U.S. from focusing on “the real problem, which is China.”
Donald Trump, who was officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate in the November election, made a tough stance toward China the centerpiece of his foreign policy under the previous administration, sparking a trade war with Beijing by raising tariffs on Chinese imports.
What does new vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance think about the world’s second-largest economy?
Tariffs and Trade
During his 2021 Senate campaign, Vance blamed China for U.S. job losses and has spoken more recently about bringing jobs back to the U.S. and protecting American industry. “From all competition“ In a CBS interview in May.
President Trump has said he would impose even higher tariffs on China if re-elected, potentially up to 60%.
Vance has publicly supported President Trump’s calls for higher tariffs on China, though he has not publicly stated a specific amount for tariffs.
Parliamentary legislation
Since becoming a senator from Ohio, Vance has introduced legislation to restrict China’s access to U.S. financial markets and exchanges., They claim that China is violating international law and manipulating international currencies.
He also introduced legislation to tighten restrictions on foreign donations to U.S. higher education institutions, citing concerns that the Chinese government could exert influence over American universities and students.
Climate Change
Vance has been critical of climate change efforts such as promoting the use of renewable energy and has questioned whether humans are solely responsible for climate change, a marked shift from his 2020 stance in which he blamed “unchecked emissions” from China for the world’s climate problems.
Vance also introduced legislation that would eliminate US EV subsidies and instead provide subsidies for internal combustion engine vehicles built with American parts and labor.
Ukraine vs. Taiwan
At the Munich Security Conference this year, Vance argued that U.S. military efforts should be focused on East Asia, not Europe, which he believes will be the focus of U.S. foreign policy for decades to come. Vance believes the U.S. Patriot missiles sent to Ukraine are coming at the expense of Taiwan.
In another interview Fox News In April 2023, Vance made it clear that he believed a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be a negative for the United States because of Taiwan’s large role in the semiconductor industry, and that he was a strong supporter of militarizing the Taiwan region.
“If Taiwan succumbs to China, this country will fall into a major depression. We have to stop that,” Vance said on the show. Fox & Friends after that.
Vance was also critical of Taiwan’s dominance of the semiconductor sector, saying “Taiwan dominates the U.S. information technology industry because we have all of our computer chips made in Taiwan.”
