From Aprul 22, 2022 post.
Representative Gary Palmer (R-AL), the chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, said he believed China was rethinking its aggressive posture regarding Taiwan given the struggles Russia, under Russian President Vladimir Putin, has faced with the Ukraine invasion.
Palmer, who was a guest on Mobile, AL radio FM Talk 106.5, said Russia’s difficulties, combined with the threat of sanctions and the withdrawal of U.S. investment from China, could be what is deterring Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“I still think that threat looms, Jeff,” he said. “And I think that China might be rethinking their strategy because, like most people, I’m sure, the Chinese anticipated that the Russians would roll right through Ukraine. And it is a disaster for Russia. I think their causality count now is over 20,000. I think the Taiwanese would fight as well as the Ukrainians have. They do not want to live under the dictatorial rule of Xi Jinping and the communist party of China.”
“The other thing, though, that I think should be instructive to China — everybody is aware of the sanctions that have been imposed on Russia,” Palmer continued. “Those have had an impact. But the thing that is going to do the most damage to Russia is all of these North American and European companies pulling, pulling out their investments, shutting down their businesses. And the long-term impact on the Russian economy is going to be extremely severe. I don’t think China wants that. There are trillions of dollars of just U.S. investment in China. If those were to be pulled out, it would do extraordinary harm to China.”
Foreign Affairs
Original source can be found here.
