Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said on Thursday during a Breitbart News policy event that China got wealthy off of cheating American workers; however, he said that President Donald Trump is fighting back.
Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle asked Cotton what he expects to happen between the upcoming meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
“Well, another one of the things you ‘can’t say about China’ is that China has been waging economic warfare against the United States. China didn’t become wealthy and powerful just on its own accord. It did so by cheating and harming American workers and businesses, every way possible,” he said at the Breitbart News policy event.
“For too long, presidents of both parties have let China get away with that,” he said.
Cotton said that Trump will likely focus on the “economic warfare” component as well as intellectual theft, China’s protectionism, and ensuring that China can compete on an even playing field.
Cotton has proposed legislation that would bring pharmaceutical manufacturing back to America. Breitbart News detailed:
China produces an overwhelming majority of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used for drugs in America. This includes 95 percent of imports of ibuprofen, 70 percent of acetaminophen, and 40-45 percent of penicillin.
Axios reported that the coronavirus outbreak has jeopardized the American supply of roughly 150 pharmaceuticals, “including antibiotics, generics,” and brand-name drugs. Some of these drugs do not have alternatives on the market.
The Arkansas senator said that Trump may emphasize rare-earth elements and pharmaceuticals.
He said that he believes Trump can get a better deal to combat some of China’s economic warfare against the United States.
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