Gov. Scott Walker might regret telling President Barack Obama that he should cancel this month’s meeting and dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
If elected president, Walker has promised to tear up the multi-national nuclear agreement with Iran. President Walker would need China’s help to re-impose any economic sanctions against Iran.
Walker is confident in his ability to manage foreign affairs. Other nations will respect his firmness in dealing with public union protests in 2011, his backers say.
Walker said Obama should show “some backbone” and not meet with Xi Jinping. Walker said the decline in the stock markets last month was due in part to China trying to “manipulate their economy.” The governor also was critical of apparent cyberattacks and China’s prosecution of Christians and human rights activists.
Walker visited China in 2013 as part of a trade mission and touts that trip to show his foreign affairs credentials. China is the third-largest export market for Wisconsin.
Walker also waded into foreign affairs at a recent campaign stop in New Hampshire. He said there are few “reasonable, moderate followers of Islam.” He declined to retreat from the “few” position when the Council of American-Islamic Relations asked for an apology. Walker said Obama has shown a lack of leadership in responding to terrorism.
There is plenty of time for Walker to clarify his foreign affairs views or to change his position. He has shown his ability to change stances on controversial issues. During one week in August, he took three different positions on illegal immigration. At the end of the week, Walker suggested employers should make sure that the people they hire aren’t illegal immigrants.
-Matt Pommer is the “dean” of Capitol correspondents in Madison. His column is published in permission from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, but does not reflect the views or opinions of the WNA or its member newspapers.
