Fred Fleitz to Newsmax: Taiwan's Visit to US 'China's Fault'

The Chinese government was filled with threats over Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's visit to the United States and with members of Congress, but such meetings wouldn't be necessary without China's increased aggression against Taiwan, former National Security Council chief of staff Fred Fleitz told Newsmax on Thursday.

"These visits are China's fault," Fleitz, the vice chairman of the America First Policy Institute Center for American Security, commented to Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "They are the response to China's increased aggression against Taiwan. If China does not want us to be meeting with Taiwanese officials, to be engaging in diplomacy like this, China can stop threatening Taiwan. This is all Beijing's fault."

Tsai's visit to the United States and her meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and a bipartisan group of lawmakers Wednesday sparked an angry response from China, including warnings for McCarthy not to meet with the Taiwan leader.

"China cannot tell American officials who they can meet with," Fleitz said. "Not only did we have these public threats to the United States, the Chinese Embassy sent emails to members of Congress, warning them not to meet with President Tsai and not to go in this huge meeting that Congressman [Michael] McCaul led to Taiwan."

Retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier Gen. Blaine Holt, also appearing on Newsmax on Thursday, said Tsai's warnings that democracy is under threat, and the request for arms deliveries as the tensions with China grow were "very alarming."

"The Taiwanese need to have immediately the supplies that they have bought because these serve as a deterrent," said Holt, adding that China is "very nervous about what they saw happen between Ukraine and Russia."

"They look at what could be a potential military incursion into Taiwan as blowing up in their face, and in fact, they're right to think so," said Holt. "It's not just equipment-based, but it's command and control. It's the way that they fight versus the way that the Westerners fight, and Taiwan has formidable capabilities that they've developed on their own."

However, the Biden administration "seems to be in league with China, or at least ignoring bad behavior from balloons to fentanyl, while we have Congress, led by Speaker McCarthy, engaging in actual diplomacy and holding the Chinese accountable for their position," said Holt.

Fleitz agreed that there is no question that the threat from China is greater today than it was when President Joe Biden took office.

"They're supposed to be the adults in the room," he said, pointing out that the administration was going to end former President Donald Trump's diplomacy over concerns of it being too confrontational and starting wars.

"We all knew that was nonsense," said Fleitz. "President Trump kept us out of wars. He believed in peace through strength. Relations got worse because of the weakness of this administration, because of what happened in Afghanistan, and [from] an unserious foreign policy that makes climate change a priority."

As a result, China saw an opportunity and is exploiting American weakness, while "exploiting a president who they don't think is capable of being commander," said Fleitz. "How do we fix this? We need another president who will be decisive."

Holt added that the United States should take China's threats seriously, and he thinks that "we're going to see a repeat of what happened after the [Nancy] Pelosi visit. I like to call it Operation Fishkill. They throw a bunch of missiles into the water and, you know, raise their angry words."

But still, China's economy is "a basket case" and getting worse, said Holt, adding that as a result, the Chinese people are "very upset" with the Chinese Communist Party "and they could be a variable here very soon."

About NEWSMAX TV:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!