Ahead of President Donald Trump’s high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper advised Trump to stand his ground and not “roll out the red carpet” for the Chinese leader, whom Esper called a “brutal dictator.” Esper also identified the administration official he believes “understands the dynamics between U.S.-China.”
Esper told MS NOW’s Peter Alexander on Wednesday that if he could deliver a message to his former boss, he would urge him not to flatter Xi and to stay focused on the issues, including the “so-called T’s”: technology, trade, tariffs and Taiwan.
“There’s a whole host of other issues as well: human rights; religious freedom; democracy; the fact that Chinese companies are accused of enabling Iran to target American bases, American forces in the Middle East, and providing that information to Iran to harm us,” he added.
Esper served as defense secretary during Trump’s first administration until he was “terminated” via tweet shortly after Trump’s 2020 election defeat. In the years since, Esper has become a vocal critic of the president, calling him “unprincipled” and “a threat to democracy.”
The former defense chief said the Trump administration “should be very clear with regard to where we stand vis-a-vis Xi Jinping.” He also warned that giving Xi a warm reception in the United States could help to prop the Chinese leader up at home.
“Of course, the Chinese Communist Party and Xi himself are always looking for ways to bolster their legitimacy with the people of China,” Esper said.
Asked whether anyone inside the administration would offer similar advice, Esper pointed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“He’s a pretty good China hawk,” the former defense secretary said of Rubio, adding that the secretary of state “understands the dynamics between U.S.-China and the broader global community.”
“So I hope [Trump’s] getting that advice,” Esper said, “and I hope he would take it.”
You can watch Esper’s full comments in the clip at the top of the page.
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