Biden calls out Xi Jinping, U.S. and China are in competition, not conflict

As relations between the United States and China are strained, President Joe Biden addressed Congress on the eve of his 100th day in office, saying that the United States, the Chinese Communist Party and other countries are competing and that every country, including China, must follow the same rules in the global economy, hoping for competition rather than conflict between nations.

Biden said he had a conversation with Chinese Communist Party President Xi Jinping and described the other side as frank, saying China wants to be the most influential country in the world, according to a report by Hong Kong Economic Journal. And while the world’s autocrats believe that democracy cannot compete with autocracy in the 21st century because of the time it takes to reach consensus, his proposal to improve U.S. infrastructure is designed to make the United States more competitive.

For example, there is no reason why the United States cannot lead the world in the production of alternative energy and electric vehicles, he said, stressing that American workers can produce wind turbines, electric vehicles and batteries and lead the world, not necessarily in China.

Biden said that every country, such as China, in the global economy, play by the same rules, and his discussion with Xi made clear that the U.S. welcomes competition and does not seek conflict, but that the U.S. will certainly defend the full range of its own interests and oppose unfair measures, including subsidies and the theft of intellectual property by state-run enterprises.

He also said the U.S. will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, stressing that the U.S. will not back down on issues such as human rights and freedom.