Governor Flexes Foreign Policy Potential On China Trip

(StraightNews.org) – California Governor Gavin Newsom is in China to tell the communist government that he is their partner in the fight against climate change. The week-long trip kicked off on October 23 with a lecture at the University of Hong Kong, where Newsom assured listeners that no matter what happens on the national stage in the United States or who wins the next Presidential election in 2024, China can “rely on California.”

Li Yongsheng from the Chinese Foreign Ministry praised Mr. Newsom’s visit as a positive development between the US and China after months of tension related to Taiwan, legislative moves in Washington against the Chinese Communist Party, and trade disputes over the past few years. He said US-China relations show “positive signs of rebounding.”

During the trip, Newsom will visit Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Jiangsu, but the journey is not without controversy or criticism at home. Some human rights groups expressed concern, but Newsom brushed these off, saying, “We’re not going to move the needle on climate change unless the United States and China collaborate together.”

Republicans lashed out at Golden State Governor, and eight California GOP House members signed a letter days before his departure calling him “delusional.” The letter pointed out that China controls a high percentage of the minerals required for electric vehicle batteries and, therefore, it has the “upper hand” as California and other states move to ban gasoline-powered cars.

The GOP lawmakers also called on Newsom to object to the Chinese chemicals used to manufacture the lethal drug Fentanyl, which kills 100,000 Americans every year. The Democrat said that the issue was “federal,” and so he did not intend to discuss it.

Governor Newsom met with some of China’s most senior officials, including President Xi Jinping. He told reporters afterward that the two leaders had acknowledged that the US and China produce 40% of the world’s carbon emissions and it is therefore vital for them to work together.