White House downplays Biden’s ‘ticking time bomb’ remark on China
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
US President Joe Biden on Thursday criticised China, the US’ top geopolitical and economic rival, referring to Chinese Communist Party leaders as “bad folks”.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
WASHINGTON – The White House pushed back on suggestions that President Joe Biden is toughening his rhetoric on China, a day after he called the world’s second-largest economy a “ticking time bomb”,
“The President is referring to the domestic challenges that China has at home, and some of those are on the economic front. And some of those are on the social and cultural front,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.
Mr Kirby said he wanted to counter the idea that the United States had “sharpened” its language.
“We have been very consistent about pushing back on China in the region and beyond, rhetorically and tangibly, where and when we believe it’s in our best interest and in the interest of our allies and partners to do so,” he said.
“We’ve never shied away from calling it like we see it when it comes to (China’s) behaviour and intimidation and coercion, of not only the neighbours, but also in countries around the world.”
Mr Biden on Thursday criticised the US’ top geopolitical and economic rival, referring to Communist Party of China leaders as “bad folks”. He said the country is in trouble because its economy has stalled and mocked President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road Initiative
The US President’s comments also included several inaccuracies about China’s economy.
“China was growing at 8 per cent a year to maintain growth, now close to 2 per cent a year,” Mr Biden told donors at a political fund-raiser in Park City, Utah, misstating its rate of expansion.
“It’s in a position where the number of people who are of retirement age is larger than the number of people of working age,” he said, another incorrect statement that was off by hundreds of millions of people.
“They’ve got some problems,” he added. “That’s not good because when bad folks have problems, they do bad things.”
Mr Biden’s comments were some of his most direct criticisms yet of China and threatened to undo months of delicate diplomacy aimed at easing recent tensions and paving the way for a potential meeting with Mr Xi, who is expected to visit the US in November to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
The remarks, though, come at a sensitive time for Mr Xi and China, where the overall economic outlook remains grim.
China’s gross domestic product grew at a slower-than-expected pace of 5.5 per cent in the first half of 2023, compared with a year earlier, leading to worries about ripple effects for the global economy.
China slid into deflation in July and is battling slowing exports, high youth unemployment and a slumping property market highlighted by a debt crisis for Country Garden Holdings,
Mr Biden insisted on Thursday that the US is not looking for a fight with Beijing, but his comments follow new investment curbs by the US planning to stop in New York and San Francisco
“This is a difficult, complex bilateral relationship,” Mr Kirby said on Friday.
“The President understands that and when he met with President Xi back in Bali, they agreed they both need to lead in this relationship and manage it in a responsible way,” he added.
“Nothing has changed about the approach that we want to take.”
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said he wanted to counter the idea that the US had “sharpened” its language.
PHOTO: REUTERS
It is unclear how China will respond to Mr Biden’s latest remarks. After Mr Biden called Mr Xi a “dictator”
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is slated to visit China later in August.
Mr Xi and Mr Biden have not spoken since they met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Summit
