CAMBRIDGE, MA — Republican Presidential candidate Hirsh Singh strongly criticized his opponent Vivek Ramaswamy for pushing the position that the United States must allow China to invade Taiwan and take over the country after 2029. Hirsh Singh termed this position weak and unacceptable and used the term “Manchurian Candidate” to describe Vivek Ramaswamy.
In a video post on the social media outlet X, Singh pointed out that China had already invaded American airspace. “A leader that is not able to stand up to China sends a very bad signal to our allies. It says, basically, that to be an enemy of America is dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal. That is not acceptable,” Singh said while echoing a quote of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger even as he promised to stop the Chinese takeover.
A day after Ramaswamy first outlined his position that “Our interests include Taiwan until we have achieved semiconductor independence… after the end of my first term, we will be in a position to say our commitments will be different. Xi Jinping will not go for Taiwan until the end of my first term,” effectively greenlighting the invasion of Taiwan in 2029, he appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show on X and doubled down on this position. In the event that Xi Jinping decided to go into Taiwan and take a piece of the country, Ramaswamy said while speaking to Tucker Carlson, ”[O]ur commitments to go to war in that situation, to at least even militarily engage in that situation, should change if it is before or after we have semiconductor independence in this country.”
Singh has articulated a strong foreign policy position on China and has based his position on protecting the shipping lanes in the South China Sea and strengthening the Quad Military Alliance. More than a third of global trade passes through this region with a significant part of that trade involving the United States. The shortest routes from Seattle to some of the most important Asian ports such as Singapore pass through Taiwanese waters.
Singh’s position has demonstrated a knowledge of international geopolitics in contrast to Vivek Ramaswamy’s words including dismissive description of Taiwan as a “tiny island” and the reduction of the issue of the Chinese threat to Taiwan as merely the issue of the country producing semiconductors. “It is not just one industry. That is a very simplistic view of international relations. Any invasion of Taiwan by China would disrupt global trade, and China would hold American trade hostage,” said Singh. “We need a strong response with a strong leader, not a Manchurian Candidate. Allowing China to take over Taiwan would also require American troops in Taiwan to withdraw without a fight,” he added.
Singh also separately spoke about the need to take a principled stand to protect American allies and not leave their people to the mercy of autocratic regimes after using them for selfish ends. “That is not who we are. We should not base our foreign policy purely on profit considerations and treat our trusted friends as usable commodities who can be discarded once they have served their purpose,” Singh said.
For media inquiries, contact press@hirshsingh.com or (202) 630-2720.
Republican Candidate for President
