China won't overtake US on my watch, says Biden

WASHINGTON • President Joe Biden has said he would prevent China from overtaking the US to become the most powerful country in the world, vowing to invest heavily to ensure America prevails in the rivalry between the world's two largest economies.

In his first White House press conference since taking office in January, Mr Biden said on Thursday that he had spent "hours upon hours" with Chinese President Xi Jinping when he served as vice-president under former president Barack Obama, and was convinced that Mr Xi believed autocracy - not democracy - held the key to the future.

The President, a Democrat, said he had made it clear to Mr Xi that the US was not looking for confrontation, but would insist China abide by international rules for fair competition, fair trade and respect for human rights.

"China has an overall goal... to become the leading country in the world, the wealthiest country in the world, and the most powerful country in the world," Mr Biden told reporters. "That's not going to happen on my watch because the United States is going to continue to grow."

He also took aim at Mr Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin for embracing autocracy.

"He's one of the guys, like Putin, who thinks that autocracy is the wave of the future, (and) democracy can't function in an ever-complex world," Mr Biden said.

"He (Mr Xi) doesn't have a democratic - with a small 'd' - bone in his body, but he's a smart, smart guy," he added.

Competition between China and the US should be "healthy, fair and equal", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said during a regular press briefing in Beijing yesterday.

"China's goal is not to surpass the US, but to continuously surpass its own accomplishments," she said.

In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Thursday, China's ambassador to the US, Mr Cui Tiankai, said Beijing's goal is to "meet the growing aspiration of the Chinese people for a better life".

"Our goal is not to compete with or replace any other country. This is never our national strategy."

He said that dividing the world is not a solution that will help get rid of the coronavirus, tackle climate change or eradicate poverty.

Mr Biden has said he would work with US allies to hold China accountable for its actions on Taiwan, Hong Kong, the South China Sea, and its treatment of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang region, as well as push Beijing to stick to international rules for fair trade.

Mr Cui denied China is separating Uighur families in Xinjiang.

"Let me make it very clear. China is not doing these things," he said on CNN.

Mr Biden, who plans to unveil a multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure proposal next week, said he would ensure increased US investment in promising new technologies, such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence and biotechnology.

"The future lies in who can, in fact, own the future as it relates to technology, quantum computing, a whole range of things, including in the medical fields," he said.

"We are going to make real investments," he added, noting that China is spending three times more on the country's infrastructure than the US.

REUTERS, BLOOMBERG