Ron DeSantis Says Deterrence Key to Preventing Taiwan Conflict

[Excerpt DeSantis You know ░░░░░░░░ if you look where ░░░░░░░░ re at at this ░░░░░░░░ of the 21st century ░░░░░░░░ the Soviet Union was ░░░░░░░░ us then that s ░░░░░░░░ what China represents with ░░░░░░░░ CCP in terms of ░░░░░░░░ threat to the free ░░░░░░░░ and I think in ░░░░░░░░ respects the CCP is ░░░░░░░░ than what the Soviet ░░░░░░░░ was certainly economically they ░░░░░░░░ way stronger than what ░░░░░░░░ Soviet Union ever was ░░░░░░░░ so when you look ░░░░░░░░ that our national security ░░░░░░░░ has really got to ░░░░░░░░ the Indo Pacific like ░░░░░░░░ did Europe after World ░░░░░░░░ II And to be ░░░░░░░░ to do that effectively ░░░░░░░░ requires us to make ░░░░░░░░ that we have strong ░░░░░░░░ and that we can ░░░░░░░░ power but it really ░░░░░░░░ require very close relationship ░░░░░░░░ U S and Japan ░░░░░░░░ I think the Quad ░░░░░░░░ India and Australia I ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ good framework but I ░░░░░░░░ think I would say ░░░░░░░░ and the U S ░░░░░░░░ the cornerstone of that ░░░░░░░░ I think without question ░░░░░░░░ is I mean I ░░░░░░░░ that if you look ░░░░░░░░ Xi Jinping he s ░░░░░░░░ ideological he s got ░░░░░░░░ a very clear idea ░░░░░░░░ what he wants to ░░░░░░░░ by entrenching the party ░░░░░░░░ power entrenching himself in ░░░░░░░░ and then he s ░░░░░░░░ up military capability and ░░░░░░░░ maybe some previous Chinese ░░░░░░░░ you know he wants ░░░░░░░░ project that beyond China ░░░░░░░░ borders in a much ░░░░░░░░ way And I think ░░░░░░░░ makes them a significant ░░░░░░░░ is they ve been ░░░░░░░░ to make themselves partially ░░░░░░░░ U S policy facilitated ░░░░░░░░ the biggest industrial power ░░░░░░░░ the world So the ░░░░░░░░ that we do in ░░░░░░░░ United States like our ░░░░░░░░ arsenal depends on parts ░░░░░░░░ things made in China ░░░░░░░░ so we ve put ░░░░░░░░ in not just the ░░░░░░░░ S but other democracies ░░░░░░░░ put ourselves in a ░░░░░░░░ position vis vis China ░░░░░░░░ know Xi clearly wants ░░░░░░░░ take Taiwan at some ░░░░░░░░ You know he s ░░░░░░░░ a certain time horizon ░░░░░░░░ could be emboldened to ░░░░░░░░ shorten that horizon but ░░░░░░░░ think ultimately what I ░░░░░░░░ China respects is strength ░░░░░░░░ so if Japan s ░░░░░░░░ what it needs to ░░░░░░░░ if the United States ░░░░░░░░ doing what it needs ░░░░░░░░ do you re going ░░░░░░░░ be in a position ░░░░░░░░ you re going to ░░░░░░░░ their calculation And it ░░░░░░░░ a huge risk to ░░░░░░░░ something like that There ░░░░░░░░ a huge amount of ░░░░░░░░ that that can go ░░░░░░░░ for President Xi so ░░░░░░░░ think our policy should ░░░░░░░░ be to shape the ░░░░░░░░ in such a way ░░░░░░░░ really deters them from ░░░░░░░░ that I think if ░░░░░░░░ think the costs are ░░░░░░░░ to outweigh whatever benefits ░░░░░░░░ I do think that ░░░░░░░░ would hold off That ░░░░░░░░ be our goal And ░░░░░░░░ commend Japan for doing ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ I think it ll ░░░░░░░░ a difference I think ░░░░░░░░ re going from 1 ░░░░░░░░ 2 GDP for defense ░░░░░░░░ that is something that ░░░░░░░░ very credible in terms ░░░░░░░░ your ability to defend ░░░░░░░░ just your own people ░░░░░░░░ to deter threats from ░░░░░░░░ whether it s China ░░░░░░░░ Korea.”