Joe Biden: China Will Not Surpass United States as Global Leader, nor Be the Most Powerful Country

(Photo : Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 25: Joe Biden Holds First Press Conference As President. U.S. President Joe Biden talks to reporters during the first news conference of his presidency in the East Room of the White House on March 25, 2021 in Washington, DC. On the 64th day of his administration, Biden, 78, faced questions about the coronavirus pandemic, immigration, gun control and other subjects.

United States President Joe Biden stated on Thursday he would alleviate China from surpassing the US to become the most powerful country in the globe on Thursday. He pledged to invest heavily to ensure America and its order of governance prevails as the quintessential model for the world.

Biden: China Will Not Be Global Leader Under My Watch

According to Biden, he had spent "hours upon hours" with Xi Jinping when he was the US Vice President under former President Barack Obama. He was convinced the Chinese president believed autocracy and not democracy was the key to the future.

In his first news conference, the president remarked, "They have an overall goal to become the leading country in the world, the wealthiest country in the world, and the most powerful country in the world. That's not gonna happen on my watch," reported Insider.

Chinese President Believes in Autocracy

The Democratic president stated he had made it transparent to Xi that his country was not looking for confrontation. He also said China has to act in accordance with international rules for fair trade, fair competition, and respect for human rights. Biden also pledged to invest heavily to ensure the US prevails in the competition between the globe's two largest economies, reported Mothership.

Economist: US Will Remain Richer Than China For the Next 50 Years or More

Meanwhile, according to an economist, the United States will remain wealthier than China for the succeeding 50 years or more. This would be long after the Asian economy is expected to surpass the US to become the global leader.

Chinese and Russian President Embrace Autocracy

The president underscored Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin's similarity for embracing autocracy. According to Biden, "He's one of the guys, like Putin, who thinks that autocracy is the way of the future, (and) democracy can't function in an ever-complex world," reported The Epoch Times.

Third Stimulus Checks To Be Received Starting This Weekend

Biden pledged to challenge China on human and trade rights. He highlighted that the United States needs to invest more in technology, science, and research to remain competitive. He also framed the escalating competition between Beijing and Washington as part of a more vast, global ideological combat between democracy and autocracy.

Holding China Accountable

The US will not be responding to China in isolation. Biden stated he would work with allies of the United States to hold China responsible for its actions. They will also push Beijing to adhere to international rules for fair trade.

GDP Per Capita Compared

The most recent International Monetary Fund data available exhibited China's GDP per capita was forecasted to be $10,582.10 in 2020. This is roughly six times smaller than $63,051.40 in the United States.

According to Simon Baptist, global chief economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, China will become "the other very large power" along with the US on the world stage. Which country is more powerful is conditional on where they wield that power.

Biden's remarks were reminiscent of those made during his presidential campaign. They come days following the first high-level, in-person talks between Chinese and US officials under his administration in Alaska, where combative public statements led by China laid down their depth of tension.