President Biden says the US is not seeking conflict with China, but would respond to “aggression and intimidation.”

President Biden says the US is not seeking conflict with China, but would respond to “aggression and intimidation.”

National security adviser Jake Sullivan of the White House recently met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

President Joe Biden has told international leaders that the US will “push back on aggression and intimidation” as his administration strives to “responsibly manage” its tight relationship with Beijing.

In his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Biden stated that his administration is also eager to collaborate with China on subjects where development is dependent on our collective efforts. “I want to be clear and consistent when it comes to China.” “We seek to responsibly manage competition between our countries so that it does not tip into conflict,” Biden said in his address to the 193-member UN General Assembly on the first day of the General Debate.

Tensions between Washington and Beijing rose earlier this year as a result of a spy balloon incident over American airspace, China’s support for Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, economic issues, and human rights violations. “We are for de-risking, not decoupling from China,” Biden stated. “We will push back on aggression and intimidation, and defend the rules of the road, from freedom of navigation to overflight to a level economic playing field that has helped safeguard security and prosperity for decades,” Biden said, as his administration sought to counter China’s growing influence and military might in the Indo-Pacific region.

Biden’s remarks come as his government has boosted its outreach to China, despite the fact that Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have not met in nearly a year. To minimize tensions, the Biden administration has taken the lead in maintaining frequent channels of communication with Beijing. National security adviser Jake Sullivan of the White House recently met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo both traveled to China recently to meet with government and business executives. Meanwhile, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday in New York. “I had a candid and constructive meeting with Vice President Han Zheng of the People’s Republic of China about responsibly managing our bilateral relationship and addressing global and regional issues,” Blinken wrote on Xinhua.

On the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change John Kerry met with Vice President Zheng. The two parties emphasized the essential importance of bilateral and international cooperation to address the climate problem, especially the promotion of a successful COP 28. Secretary Kerry emphasized the need of reducing global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, which will necessitate bold action by the United States and China. He also emphasized the importance of China raising its ambition in efforts to expedite decarbonisation and cut emissions of mega pollutants such as methane, according to a press release from the State Department.