Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said he would radically change the U.S. relationship with China if elected, saying the U.S. is “addicted” to Chinese products.
In a “fair-side chat” with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, Ramaswamy said he would sign a “Declaration of Independence” from China.
“We can not depend on an enemy for our modern way of life,” he said. “We never depended on the USSR for the shoes on our feet or the phones in our pocket, we just didn’t. Today we depend on Communist China for the way we live our lives.”
“That doesn’t work in the long run, it’s like we’re in a codependent relationship. Codependent relationships do not end well, the only question is who ends it first,” he continued. “The sooner we ended it, the better for us.”
Ramaswamy railed against China’s role in the opioid epidemic in the United States, calling it a “modern Opium War.” Chinese manufacturers produce some of the precursors used to create fentanyl.
He also described what he called “digital fentanyl” — Chinese-owned social media like TikTok — and “financial fentanyl” — the U.S. national debt, of which China owns a significant portion.
He criticized the Biden administration’s handling of a Chinese spy balloon that flew across the U.S. in March, saying that Biden is too easy on the country.
“We’re scared because we depend on them,” he said.
Ramaswamy’s comments come as candidates from both parties have ramped up anti-China sentiment in recent years.
In a speech Friday, President Biden called the Chinese economy a “ticking time bomb” as a real estate crisis continues to unfold in the country. The Chinese economy has also been held back by severe and strict COVID-era restrictions which have slowed its growth.
Earlier this week, the Biden administration limited U.S. tech industry investments in China.
Ramaswamy’s campaign has gained steam in recent months, rising from an unknown political figure to third in national polling averages — passing former Vice President Mike Pence last month. Ramaswamy has garnered about 7 percent support in recent polls.