US must step up to meet China challenge, says Biden after Xi call

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US President Joe Biden, who called his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, told a bipartisan group of US senators that it is critical for Washington to upgrade infrastructure in the wake of rising competition from China. According to a report by Reuters the two leaders held their first phone call but “appeared at odds on most issues” though Xi called for “win-win co-operation.”</p>
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“If we don't get moving, they are going to eat our lunch,” Biden told the senators. “They're investing billions of dollars dealing with a whole range of issues that relate to transportation, the environment and a whole range of other things. We just have to step up,” the US president said, the Reuters reported.</p>
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However, according to Chinese state backed media organisation Global Times, the phone call between the two leaders “serves as a tone-setter for future bilateral relations in short term and shows that the two sides are willing to push bilateral ties forward in a more positive direction that can manage ties through constructive dialogue and cooperation.”</p>
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“Chinese observers said the phone call, arranged on Chinese New Year’s Eve, shows the Biden administration’s goodwill toward the Chinese government and the Chinese people,” Global Times reported.</p>
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US-China relations during the Donald Trump administration had nosedived. Several issues came up between the two countries, one of which was also related to the tariff war.</p>
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While the world is keeping a close watch on the developments, sources told IndiaNarrative.com that the US under Biden may not be able to deviate significantly from Trump’s charter on China.</p>
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Earlier, Janet Yellen, secretary, US treasury department, who took over from Steven Mnuchin, underlined the need to take on China for its “abusive, unfair and illegal practices.”</p>
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Yellen has even told the lawmakers that China is guilty of human rights abuses.</p>
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Besides, Yellen, US secretary of State Antony Blinken, who endorsed former President Trump’s stand on China, too in an interview to CNN said that Washington must engage with Beijing from a position of strength.</p>
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China, which is getting more and more isolated globally, is looking to rebuild its relations with other countries including the US.</p>