US President Joe Bien anticipates “extreme competition” with China, but does not want a conflict between the two major world powers, according to an interview with CBS released Sunday.
Biden said he has not spoken to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping since taking office.
“He doesn’t have that, and I’m not saying this as criticism, but he’s a reality, a single democratic bone in his body,” Biden added.
“I’ve been telling him all along that we don’t need to have conflict. But there will be extreme competition,” added the Democratic president.
“I’m not going to do it like (Donald) Trump did. We’re going to focus on international rules.”
Washington sees China as its main strategic adversary, as well as the first challenge on the world stage.
Trump opted for open confrontation and verbal assaults, albeit without serious tangible results for America’s massive trade deficit with China.
Biden has dismantled many of the most controversial measures of the Trump era, while indicating that the US superpower will look closely at its own interests.