Vivek Ramaswamy, the Indian-American Republican presidential candidate, has delivered a significant foreign policy address in his home state of Ohio, outlining his vision for achieving economic independence from China.

He proposed a series of measures aimed at realizing this goal, along with fostering stronger ties with countries like India.Several Republican primary contenders have shown a willingness to confront China's aggressive actions through tariffs, with former President Donald Trump being the most prominent advocate of this approach.

However, many have expressed reluctance to disrupt existing trade relationships with Beijing.

But Ramaswamy asserted that there's no time for terms like "de-risking" or "diversifying." Instead, Ramaswamy is set to introduce a resolute "pro-trade strategy for sensibly decoupling from China."Speaking to a gathering at a plastics manufacturing facility in New Albany, Ohio, Ramaswamy emphasized that our primary adversary today is not the USSR, which dissolved in 1990, but rather Communist China.The biotech entrepreneur contends that his trade-centric approach represents the only "substantive" effort among GOP candidates.

He aims to modernize the Reagan Doctrine by shifting its focus from "peace through strength" to "prosperity through peace."Ramaswamy emphasized the imperative of reducing reliance on Chinese-controlled pharmaceutical supply chains and increasing military spending as part of his strategy.

He stressed that his approach offers a practical and clear path to declare economic independence from China while concurrently advancing domestic prosperity.The 38-year-old entrepreneur, whose popularity has been on the rise following his impressive performance in the first Republican presidential primary debate last month, elaborated on following key elements of his policy:Declaring Independence from the Climate Change Agenda: Ramaswamy criticized the climate change agenda as a "farce" and a "hoax" and pledged to declare independence from it.Increased Military Spending: Ramaswamy called for heightened military spending to enhance homeland defense capabilities.Moving Away from Chinese-controlled Pharmaceutical Supply Chains: Expressing concerns about potential contamination, he advocated distancing the United States from pharmaceutical supply chains controlled by China, especially regarding legal pharmaceuticals.Economic Independence from Taiwan: He proposed boosting the production of US semiconductors, the essential components powering phones, satellite systems, medical devices, and communication devices, to achieve economic independence from Taiwan.Ramaswamy pointed out the Chinese Communist Party's tactics of building barriers for market entry when criticizing China and rolling out the red carpet for those who criticize the United States.

He cited examples, including BlackRock's CEO Larry Fink's lobbying efforts, to illustrate this dynamic."Take BlackRock, the first asset manager ever to be granted the right to sell mutual funds as a foreign asset manager in China.

How did they get it? It was only after BlackRock's CEO Larry Fink lobbied in the United States for lowered listing standards for Chinese companies in the US," he claimed.He emphasized that, if elected as President in November 2024, he would focus on achieving economic independence from China and highlighted the president's unique role in shaping foreign policy.Ramaswamy stressed his commitment to avoiding World War III, revitalizing national pride, and dismantling regulatory obstacles under the executive branch, without having to rely on Congress for approval or forgiveness.

He cautioned against making legislative promises contingent on Congress, referencing former President Donald Trump's unfulfilled pledge to repeal and replace Obamacare as an example of such challenges.(With inputs from agencies)