Gov. Scott Walker (R., Wisc.), a leading Republican presidential candidate, urged President Obama on Monday to cancel the upcoming state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping amid concerns about Beijing’s military actions and human rights abuses.
Walker also referenced the plummeting U.S. stock market in his statement, which fell by as much as 1,000 points on Monday due to fears of China’s slowing economy:
Americans are struggling to cope with the fall in today's markets driven in part by China's slowing economy and the fact that they actively manipulate their economy. Rather than honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping with an official state visit next month, President Obama should focus on holding China accountable over its increasing attempts to undermine U.S. interests. Given China’s massive cyberattacks against America, its militarization of the South China Sea, continued state interference with its economy, and persistent persecution of Christians and human rights activists, President Obama needs to cancel the state visit. There's serious work to be done rather than pomp and circumstance. We need to see some backbone from President Obama on U.S.-China relations.
Xi has launched the most sweeping crackdown on Chinese dissidents and human rights lawyers since the era of Mao Zedong, the Communist Party founder. A recent Pentagon study also found that China has constructed artificial islands on nearly 3,000 acres in the South China Sea and is preparing to militarize them.