| Translate This News In |
|---|
US President Joe Biden declared during a recent meeting with representatives from the Quad countries of Australia, India, and Japan that the US, in collaboration with its partners and allies, will hold China accountable to the law. “Earlier this month, I met with our allies and discussed how we’re going to hold China accountable in the region, as well as Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, the so-called Quad because we need democracies to work together,” he said.
In the White House East Room on Thursday, Biden held his first solo press conference, announcing that he would soon invite a group of democracies to Washington, DC to “discuss the future.” “We will make it clear that, in order to deal with these issues, we will hold China accountable to the law, whether it applies to the South China Sea, the North China Sea, the Taiwan agreement, or a number of other issues,” he said.
Thirty reporters from various news organisations, including two foreign correspondents, attended the meeting.
In response to a query, Biden said that he believes China is a formidable competitor.
“I don’t think I’m criticising China for its long-term aim of becoming the world’s most powerful, wealthiest, and influential country. Under my leadership, that will not happen because the United States will continue to prosper and expand,” he said.
Biden has spoken with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping over the phone once since becoming the 46th President of the United States on January 20.
He said the conversation lasted two hours.
During the Obama administration, Biden said he spent hours with Xi as vice president.
“It was a very simple method. He doesn’t have a single democratic bone in his body, but he’s a very smart guy. He’s one of those people who, like Putin, believes autocracy is the way of the future. In an ever-complex world, democracy cannot function,” he said.
Biden said that he is putting his government in place to be able to do so.
He said, “The second thing we’re trying to do is reestablish our alliances.”
“I’ve been very open about it. It’s not anti-Chinese in any way. We’ve discussed it.
