Under the Trump administration, Nikki Haley served as US ambassador to the United Nations, a post many believed she would use to promote human rights abroad. Haley, however, quickly did the complete opposite, especially once the US withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council after repeatedly defending lethal force used by Israel during protests.
Reflecting on recent remarks made by US President Joe Biden at his first major news conference, Haley has blasted the commander-in-chief for what she believed to be a soft stance on China, labeling his comments as “weak leadership.”
Airing out her frustrations via social media, the former US ambassador took to Twitter on Thursday, where she faulted Biden for not taking a harder approach on China in light of alleged human rights abuses being committed against the Asian country’s Uyghur population, a minority ethnic group native to China’s northwest Xinjiang region.
Biden’s highly anticipated news conference touched on a variety of topics, such as the migrant crisis at the US’ southern border, the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea’s recent missiles test, and, of course, relations with China.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to reporters as he holds his first formal news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 25, 2021. REUTERS/Leah Millis
However, when it came to discussing China, Biden did not exactly tiptoe around the topic as Haley suggests. While Biden admitted that his administration was not interested in engaging in a “confrontation” with China, the president did state he had no intention of letting it become a leading country in the world.
In the video clip shared by Haley, Biden is heard stating that “China has an overall goal and I don’t criticize them for the goal,” and cuts off just as the president acknowledges how the booming nation seeks to become a global leader.
The video Haley shared with her nearly 700,000 followers also failed to include Biden’s multi-step effort to push back against China, a three-pronged initiative which involves reinvesting in American workers, mending alliances with partners, and condemning China’s alleged human rights violations.
President Donald Trump meets with outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018, in Washington
Over the last few months, Haley has remained vocal about various topics, including actions taken by her previous boss, former US President Donald Trump.
Although the former official has indicated she will willingly “defend the bulk of the Trump record,” she temporarily flipped the script in the wake of the Capitol riot, telling Politico that she was “disgusted” by Trump’s behavior. However, Haley later opted to sing Trump’s praises after he made his first public appearance at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in February.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
