Biden ‘does not seek conflict’ with China

US President Joe Biden has said he “do not seek conflict” with China, according to excerpts broadcast Wednesday, February 8 from an interview with the PBS channel, while the United States has just destroyed a Chinese balloon which had flown over their territory.

” No “replied the American president to the journalist who asked him if relations with Beijing had suffered ” a blow “. “We are going to fully compete with China, but we are not looking for conflict”he assured.

In general, Washington was rather careful to raise the tone after shooting down a Chinese balloon on Saturday, intended according to the Americans to spy on sensitive military sites. During his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, however, Joe Biden assured: “If China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. »

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Chinese “spy” balloon: the diplomatic crisis is growing between Beijing and Washington

Tense

The relationship between the two superpowers has become tense following this affair. China strongly condemned the destruction of the balloon, according to it an aircraft “civilian used for research purposes, mainly meteorological” who had entered in such a way “involuntary” in US airspace.

The head of the American diplomacy Antony Blinken in this context canceled at the last minute a planned visit to China.

The Pentagon also revealed on Tuesday that Beijing had refused on Saturday the American proposal for a telephone call between the head of the Pentagon Lloyd Austin and his counterpart Wei Fenghe.

Read also: Chinese balloon: Beijing rejected an appeal from Washington after the destruction of the device

The World with AFP

The contribution area is reserved for subscribers.

Subscribe to access this discussion space and contribute to the discussion.

Subscribe

Contribute

source site-29