P.Resident Joe Biden called China xenophobic while highlighting Asian countries' economic woes, as he sought to make the case for U.S. economic strength during a campaign stop in the swing state of Pennsylvania.
They have a population that has more retirees than workers. They don't matter. They are xenophobes, no one else is coming. They have real problems, Biden said of China in remarks to steelmakers in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
The president's comments followed a phone call two weeks ago with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first since a face-to-face meeting in November. While global relations have stabilized recently, tensions are growing over Chinese investments in manufacturing that risk leading to job losses among blue-collar workers.
The remarks were among Biden's sharpest rebukes of the world's second-largest economy, which grew faster than expected in the first quarter even as questions persist about the strength of the recovery. Beijing's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the president's remarks.
Learn more: Biden calls Xi a dictator just after praising progress in repairing US-China relations
Biden also called for higher tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum, part of a series of measures aimed at strengthening the U.S. steel sector, including the president's pledge that the Japanese company Nippon Steel Corp. would fail to acquire Pittsburgh-based United States Steel Corp.
The tariffs would see the US impose new levies of 25% on some Chinese steel and aluminum products as part of an ongoing review, while its administration would also launch a formal investigation into the construction industry Chinese naval force. China's Commerce Ministry blasted the U.S. study on Wednesday, saying it was full of false accusations and based on domestic political necessities.
Biden also criticized Donald Trump for his policies towards Beijing during his term.
Trump just doesn't get it, Biden said, saying it was incorrect to view China as growing and the United States lagging. Asked as he left Pittsburgh whether steel tariffs would harm ties with Xi, Biden said no.
Chinese authorities have recently sought to boost overseas investor confidence, after years of tough pandemic restrictions and tougher national security controls shook confidence. Direct investment by foreign companies in China fell to a 30-year low in 2023, underscoring the challenges facing Beijing.
Xi's government recently expanded visa-free entry to a number of European and Asian countries, after promising comfort measures for investors last year during a trip to the United States. However, China has so far struggled to woo foreigners following the country's lockdown. nation during the pandemic: Shanghai's business hub welcomed 44% fewer foreign visitors in the first two months of this year compared to the same period in 2019.
Imports have also been weak, with falling commodity prices and weak domestic demand due to the housing market crisis and other problems undermining Chinese purchases of foreign goods. Imports rose 1.5% in the first three months of this year, following a 5.5% decline last year.
Biden also pledged to continue his efforts to deny China advanced technologies such as computer chips, prompting Xi to invest in becoming more self-sufficient.
They cannot be sent to China because that would undermine our national security, Biden said. When I spoke with Xi Jinping, he said to me: Why? And I said: Because you would be using it for all the wrong reasons, so you won't get these advanced computer chips.
