Committed to stopping China's economic abuse by working with allies: WH

US President Joe Biden is committed to stopping China's economic abuses on many fronts, said the White House on Monday adding that the most effective way in doing so is by "working in coordination" with allies.

Speaking at a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, said that Washington has seen over the last few years that China is growing more authoritarian at home, challenging security and prosperity abroad.

Monday's briefing marks the first time an interpreter has been a part of the briefing. Psaki added that an American Sign Language interpreter will be a regular fixture at daily press briefings during the Biden administration.

 

"Well, as is the case with other areas of our relationship with China, he will take a multilateral approach to engage with China, and that includes evaluating the tariffs currently in place. And he wants to ensure that we take any steps in coordination with our allies and partners, and with Democrats and Republicans in Congress, as well," Psaki said.

"We're committed to -- the President is committed to stopping China's economic abuses on many fronts, and the most effective way to do that is through working in concert with our allies and partners to do exactly that," the White House Press secretary added.

Psaki stated that the Biden-Harris administration would be tackling the threat posed by Beijing with strategic patience and discussing with the US Congress.

"We want to approach this with some strategic patience, and we want to conduct reviews internally, through our interagency... We wanted to engage more with Republicans and Democrats in Congress to discuss the path forward. And most importantly, we want to discuss this with our allies," she added.

Speaking on the tariffs imposed by the former President Donald Trump's administration, about whether Biden 'liked those tariffs', Psaki responded that Biden would take a 'multilateral' approach while dealing with Beijing.

"He (Biden) will take a multilateral approach to engage with China, and that includes evaluating the tariffs currently in place. And he wants to ensure that we take any steps in coordination with our allies and partners, and with Democrats and Republicans in Congress, as well," the secretary said.

She said that Washington is in "serious competition" with Beijing and added that the Chinese Government is engaged in conduct that it "hurts American workers, blunts our technological edge, and threatens our alliances and our influence in international organizations."

"What we've seen over the last few years is that China is growing more authoritarian at home and more assertive abroad. And Beijing is now challenging our security, prosperity, and values in significant ways that require a new US approach."

The President's view is that the US needs to play a "better defence" that must include holding China accountable for its unfair and illegal practices and making sure that American technologies aren't facilitating China's military buildup, the White House secretary said.

Under the Trump administration, ties between the two countries had deteriorated over issues such as human rights violations in Xinjiang, encroachment on the special status of Hong Kong, accusations of unfair trade practices by Beijing, lack of transparency concerning the pandemic and China's military aggression in various parts of the world.