Biden claims better handling of China than Trump
Eight-foot-tall steel fencing is put up around the U.S. Capitol on March 6, 2024, the day before President Joe Biden is to deliver the State of the Union address
U.S. President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address Thursday that he is dealing with China better than his predecessor, Donald Trump, and stepping up cooperation with countries such as Japan and South Korea to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region.
Biden drew a clear distinction between him and Trump, emphasizing that the incumbent’s defence of democratic values and the steps taken across various areas such as the economy, social welfare and climate change have been effective.
On China, Biden said his administration’s achievements include bringing the United States’ trade deficit with the Asian country to the lowest point in over a decade, standing up for stability across the Taiwan Strait and restricting Beijing’s use of advanced U.S. technology.
Biden also argued that he revitalized ties with U.S. allies and partners in the region, citing Australia, India, Japan, South Korea and Pacific Island countries.
“Frankly, for all his tough talk on China, it never occurred to my predecessor to do any of that,” Biden told a joint session of Congress.
It was the first time Biden had referred to the Taiwan Strait in a State of the Union address, but his statements regarding China were not that hawkish as he and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed in November to ease tensions.
Biden added, “I want competition with China, not conflict. We’re in a stronger position to win the (competition) of the 21st century against China than anyone else.”
The annual speech, televised across the United States, came a day after his rematch with Trump in the November presidential election became all but certain.
Nikki Haley, Trump’s last remaining Republican rival for the election, pulled out of the race on Wednesday after he defeated her in 14 of the 15 states that held nominating contests on what is known as Super Tuesday, the most important day of the primary calendar.
Biden warned that freedom and democracy are under attack at home and abroad, beginning his address with a plea to far-right Republicans aligned with Trump to approve additional funds for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
“If anybody in this room thinks (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you he will not,” he said. “Ukraine can stop Putin if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapons to defend itself…But now, assistance to Ukraine is being blocked by those who want to walk away from our world leadership.”
Biden said his message to Putin is simple, stressing in a much louder voice, “We will not walk away. We will not bow down. I will not bow down. In a literal sense, history is watching.”
For the 81-year-old Democratic president, his third and last State of the Union address before the Nov. 5 election was a prized opportunity to list what he views as his administration’s accomplishments and what he would like to achieve in a second term.
Biden, the oldest U.S. president ever elected, has struggled with tepid approval ratings and intense scrutiny over his age, with some polls showing he narrowly trails Trump in head-to-head races in key battleground states and a hypothetical 2024 rematch.
“My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. A future based on the core values that have defined America — honesty, decency, dignity, equality. To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor,” said Biden, who did not mention Trump by name throughout the some hour-long speech.
“Now, (some) other people my age see it differently — an American story of resentment, revenge and retribution. That’s not me,” he continued.
While the 77-year-old Trump has branded Biden as an “enemy” destroying the United States, the president sought to convince Americans that the economy has fared well under his administration, citing rising wages, low employment and receding inflation.
Biden talked more about domestic issues, also including border security and abortion rights, but he touched on the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Biden said he is directing the U.S. military to set up a temporary pier on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast that can be used by large ships carrying items such as food, water and medicine.
The planned facility, he said, will lead to a huge increase in the amount of much-needed humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip significantly affected by the conflict.
