DeSantis' China Hardliners

The fact that he is listening to them suggests that DeSantis will be relying on hostility to China to serve as the foundation of his foreign policy as a presidential candidate.

Politico reports on the China hawks advising Ron DeSantis:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is getting briefed by a bevy of national security experts, many of whom promote a hard line on China.

The Republican and members of his advisory team are holding formal and informal conversations on issues like the Washington-Beijing relationship and the war in Ukraine, two people familiar with the events told NatSec Daily.

Among the briefers we could confirm: Gordon Chang, Elbridge Colby, Harry Kazianis and Brandon Weichert.

No one should be surprised that DeSantis is getting advice from hardliners, especially since his foreign policy record is largely that of a hardliner and he has been nothing if not a strident China hawk all along. Three of the four people mentioned in this report are among the most vitriolic and aggressive China hawks around. The fact that he is listening to them suggests that DeSantis will be relying on hostility to China to serve as the foundation of his foreign policy as a presidential candidate.

While DeSantis continues to get dinged for his slipperiness on Ukraine policy, the picture of his preferred China policy couldn’t be clearer or more alarming. Judging from what he has already had to say and the people that he is surrounding himself with, it seems that DeSantis is going to try to compensate for any perceived “weakness” on other foreign policy issues by being the most hardline candidate on China.