President Joe Biden says China is in for extreme competition from the US under his administration, but that the new relationship he wants to forge need not be one of conflict.
In an interview broadcast Sunday, Biden acknowledged that he has yet to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping since his inauguration January 20, but noted that the two leaders had met many times when both men served their countries as vice president.
I know him pretty well, Biden said in an excerpt of the interview aired Sunday by CBS' Face the Nation.
When they do speak, they will have a whole lot to talk about, Biden said.
Biden appears to be concentrating his initial telephone diplomacy on US allies. He so far has spoken with the leaders of Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the NATO secretary-general.
He also worked in a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In the interview, Biden described Xi as very bright and very tough but without a democratic, small D, bone in his body.
Shortly after Biden succeeded President Donald Trump in the White House, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said that after this very difficult and extraordinary time, both the Chinese and American people deserve a better future.
Beijing welcomed the Biden administration's decision to remain in the World Health Organisation and return to the Paris climate agreement.
The new administration, however, is unlikely to significantly alter US policies on trade, Taiwan, human rights and the South China Sea that have angered Xi's increasingly assertive government.
Biden, in the interview taped Friday, said he has said to Xi all along, that we need not have a conflict. But, Biden added, there will be extreme competition. And I'm not going to do it the way that he knows. And that's because he's sending signals as well.
Biden said he will not pursue US-China relations in the way that Trump did but will focus on international rules of the road.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU