Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, who has voiced his tough stance on China, remained silent as a subsidiary of a US-blocked Chinese company expanded less than 15 miles from a Florida military base while he was the state’s governor.
On the campaign trail, the 45-year-old DeSantis said he would “reorient” US foreign policy to prioritize the Indo-Pacific region and sign legislation barring Chinese Communist Party affiliates from buying land near military bases.
Cirrus Aircraft — a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corp. (AVIC) China — opening two new locations in central Florida in 2022.
One is at Orlando Executive Airport, 12.7 miles from the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division.
AVIC makes fighter jets, helicopters and drones for the Chinese military.
In 2020, the US considered AVIC a possible national security threat and imposed sanctions on the company as part of an initiative to stop the growth of firms tied to Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army.
DeSantis stood in front of a plane wearing the Cirrus logo while delivering a speech about Biden’s weakness in China.GovRonDeSantis/Facebook
DeSantis said nothing publicly about Cirrus expansion in his state at the time — and in February 2023, he gave a speech in front of a Cirrus SR 22 aircraft while criticizing President Biden’s response to the Chinese spy balloon fiasco.
The State of Florida does not provide any taxpayer subsidies or other incentives to Cirrus or its parent company.
Cirrus, while not subject to sanctions itself, could pose a national security risk to the US because of its ties to AVIC, defense experts told The Post.
There is no sign the US government will crack down on Cirrus anytime soon, and the federal government has not accused the company of any wrongdoing.
“It is not necessarily risky to allow subsidiaries of Chinese firms that have been listed as authorized to operate,” said Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center for Cyber and Technology Innovation. “The parent company has failed to meet the standards of transparency that led them to do so [sanctions] list.”
Cirrus’ subsidiary status raises “questions” about how close the company is to AVIC, said Kari Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“The point is, it’s worrying,” Bingen said. “Even with subsidiaries I want to understand: Who is on the board of directors? To what extent does the parent company have control, give instructions, receive information from the subsidiary?”
Cirrus Orlando Executive Airport location offers Cirrus aircraft sales and concierge flight training.Cirrus Aircraft
A June Cirrus prospectus filed with the Hong Kong stock exchange showed the company’s employees had ties to other US-sanctioned subsidiaries of AVIC.
Cirrus Vice Chairman Hui Wang is a director of AVIC Heavy Machinery Co. — a company authorized by the US Treasury Department and listed by the Pentagon as a Chinese military company, Bloomberg reported.
An additional Cirrus director is on the board of directors of two US-licensed subsidiaries of AVIC, according to the outlet.
Cirrus has maintained its relationship with AVIC does not pose a threat to US national security interests.
“US law strictly prohibits sharing any information that could pose a risk to US national security, and Cirrus Aircraft complies with all US laws and regulations,” spokeswoman Nadia Haidar said in a statement.
AVIC makes fighter jets, helicopters and drones for the Chinese military.VCG via Getty Images
China has been at the forefront of the 2024 campaign, with DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley both accusing each other of being soft on Beijing as their poll numbers show them battling in the primary.
“Facts matter,” DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin told The Post. “Ron DeSantis uniquely recognized the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party and spent his governorship working to end the nation’s existing relationship with China and build safeguards against future Chinese aggression.”
“Nikki Haley spent her governorship courting Chinese businesses to South Carolina, calling them friends, and failing to pursue remedial efforts to protect her state from the CCP threat. As president, Ron DeSantis will make sure America wins and China loses. Nikki Haley’s past actions show that she will continue to roll out the red carpet for the CCP, which disqualifies anyone running for President,” added Griffin.
DeSantis has signed a bill that prohibits CCP-affiliated entities from buying US farmland.Getty Images
As governor, DeSantis has signed bills that prevent sensitive data from being stored on CCP-owned or affiliated servers, stop state colleges and universities from being subject to Chinese influence and block access to CCP-linked apps like TikTok on government devices.
He also signed an executive order prohibiting government entities from obtaining technology from companies affiliated with the CCP.
Never Back Down, a super PAC supporting DeSantis, recently launched an ad focusing on South Carolina donating 197 acres to a Chinese fiberglass company during Haley’s tenure as governor.
Haley argued the project helped the economic development of her home state.
Chinese investment in South Carolina more than doubled while Haley was governor, according to the Washington Post, and companies with ties to the CCP received 1,500 acres of land.
He also lobbied the Commerce Department to reconsider its high tariffs on China-affiliated company Giti Tires.
Meanwhile, Haley accused DeSantis of trying to hide his previous efforts to recruit Chinese companies to Florida by scrubbing government websites that referred to those ties.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
