Biden denies wanting to 'contain' China, seeks stronger alliances for a stable Asia-Pacific
11 Sep 2023 10:05am
US President Joe Biden - AFP
"Really what this trip is about, it’s less about containing China. I don’t want to contain China," he said after meeting with Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi, Vietnam.
"We are not looking to decouple from China, we’re looking to de-risk and diversify our relationship with China,” he stressed.
Biden emphasised that Washington was not looking to "hurt” China, according to report by Anadolu Agency.
However, he said the US will not "sell China material that would enhance their capacity to make more nuclear weapons to engage in defense activities."
"I think that one of the things we’ve done -- I’ve tried to do, and I’ve talked with a number of my staff about this for the last, I guess, six months is we have an opportunity to strengthen alliances around the world to maintain stability.
"That’s what this trip was all about: having India cooperate much more with the United States, be closer with the United States, Vietnam being closer with the United States...(is) not about containing China; it’s about having a stable base -- a stable base in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
He said, however, that "China is beginning to change some of the rules of the game, in terms of trade and other issues.”
Biden also expressed his sincere intention to put US-China relations back on track.
"I just want to make sure that we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it’s all about,” he said.
He said his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meanwhile has "some difficulties right now.”
"He has his hands full,” he said, adding Xi was facing "economic difficulties” including youth unemployment.
While Biden said he is looking to meet with his Chinese counterpart "soon,” he said he met Xi’s "Number 2” during his visit to India, where they attended the G-20 summit.
He was referring to Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who attended the 18th summit of G-20 leaders in New Delhi.
"My team, my staff still meets with President Xi’s people and his Cabinet,” he noted.
In a joint press briefing held after their meeting, Phu Trong and Biden announced that the two countries have agreed to upgrade relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.
Praising the decision, Biden said the move is an important step in expanding economic relations between the US and Vietnam.
Phu Trong, for his part, said that thanks to the new partnership, ties between the two nations will be raised to a higher level by promoting economic, trade and investment cooperation.
The cooperation between the two countries may be beneficial for the whole world, he said.
Biden arrived in Hanoi on Sunday for a two-day state visit - BERNAMA
