Biden administration views China as more risky competitor: Report

The Hong Kong Post, in an opinion piece, said that the Biden administration views China as a more risky competitor than as a distant, global rival.

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a virtual summit last week. During the meeting, they exchanged friendly words but also categorically conveyed the position of their respective countries on continuous issues.

The two leaders met for three and a half hours on Tuesday.

As per a statement issued by the White House, Biden spoke about violations of human rights by China and Beijing's trade policy. "President Biden raised concerns about the PRC's practices in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, as well as human rights more broadly," the White House said in a statement.

"He was clear about the need to protect American workers and industries from the PRC's unfair trade and economic practices," it said.

President Xi on his part raised the issue of US support to Taiwan, and of alliances and groupings that created "divisions" in the world. This was a reference to the Quad grouping, which includes India, and the AUKUS deal among Australia, UK and US to deliver nuclear-powered submarines to Canberra.

As per the Hong Kong Post, the two leaders got a measure of each other during the summit and it is now status quo ante.

"There was no conflict both sides were heading to and there is none to head to after the talks. It is a status quo ante. Both leaders got a measure of each other. After all, they were seeing each other, albeit on tv screens, for the first time after two previous telephonic conversations and had physically met the last time when both were serving as vice-presidents under Brack Obama and Hu Jintao," the report read.

In the coming months, Biden will be "baring his teeth" on China more for the benefit of his country's audience as US midterm elections are approaching near.

"The tensions are not easing primarily because the United States under Donald Trump stopped pretending to be friends with China and started a trade war. The Biden administration is taking that forward, converting it into a one-on-one competition with China," the report said.

"In that sense, there has been no change in the US policy on China over two presidencies. If Biden gave any indication, it is that the US policy has indeed changed a bit, viewing China more as a risky competitor than as a distant, global rival," it added. (ANI)