Nikki Haley resigned as UN Ambassador in 2018 after nearly two years in office. (File)
Washington:
China under President Xi Jinping has become more aggressive and optimistic, former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Tuesday, saying such behavior is unlikely to last long.
Indian-American Nikki Haley, in an interview with Fox News, said the Chinese were calm and strategic during her tenure at the UN. They moved on and made sure they were trying to get positions in certain fields, and trying to get things done behind closed doors, she said.
“Then, after President Xi sort of made himself king, they got very aggressive. They got very optimistic. They started pointing fingers at countries’ faces and saying: you better vote with it. us. They started to be very optimistic, aggressive in the UN wanting positions and wanting to have leadership roles. And they started talking to everyone, ”Ms. Haley said.
With their Belt and Road initiative, the Chinese have started to really try to buy this infrastructure or partner with smaller countries on infrastructure projects, she said.
“But yet they come in, they wouldn’t assimilate to countries. Countries didn’t like their attitude when they arrived. Now you look at it, the tone becomes more aggressive,” said Haley, who resigned. as Ambassador to the UN in 2018 after nearly two years in this position.
“But this can’t go on. You know, any country that doesn’t let its people be free, there will be a time when the people rebel. So now they keep pushing, they keep pushing Hong Kong, as we’ve seen. We’re starting to see the pressure go to Taiwan, the South China Sea, India. All of that, they’re the ones playing some kind of mountain king scenario, “Haley told me. said.
She said the United States must “let them know that we agree with them, we really need to follow through on the intellectual property measures that were in this trade deal that we had and hold them accountable.”
“We need to make sure that we continue to let them know that we are building our army so that they know not to bother. We need to make sure our American corporations understand that when you do business in China, you are a threat to America’s national security. And we really need to have these conversations with these Americans, ”Ms. Haley said in response to a question.
Supporting President Donald Trump’s decision to close the Chinese consulate in Houston, Haley said the consulates have been “spy centers” for a long time.
“I mean there is no doubt that they had illegal activities in these consulates. So I was delighted to see them close the one in Houston, which was known to be sort of the epicenter of it all. And I think, you know, that when Chinese officials are hiding in consulates it shows that you are doing something wrong, ”she said.
“This is where we really need to get tough on espionage. Whether it’s intellectual property, whether it’s the theft they’re trying to do with our vaccine research and what’s going on. the coronavirus, we really need to start cracking down. I was happy to see them do this, ”Ms. Haley said.
