US faces battle to ‘prove democracy works’ against China’s autocracy, Biden says

Washington CNN — President Joe Biden cast challenges to the US from China, Russia and global shifts in stark terms Thursday, describing “a battle between the utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies.” The President underscored that the United States faces an unprecedented array of tests, with Beijing posing what might be the trickiest strategic challenge of all. As global freedoms ebb, groundbreaking technological shifts are disrupting economies and climate change is posing an existential threat, all while Moscow continues challenging the West and an increasingly aggressive Beijing seeks to become – in Biden’s words Thursday – “the most powerful country in the world.” Biden had been asked at his first press conference as President Thursday whether he would maintain tariffs on Beijing or ban Chinese goods made with forced labor. On Thursday, Biden outlined his own, more quiet stand off with Xi, a two-hour marathon phone call in which “we made several things clear to one another.” Biden told the Chinese leader “that we’re not looking for confrontation, although we know there will be steep, steep competition” and that “we’ll insist that China play by the international rules, fair competition, fair practices, fair trade.” Biden told reporters his administration would also make three changes to compete more effectively with China and for the future. “China is out-investing us by a long shot because their plan is to own that future.” The US will re-establish its alliances as a second step, with Biden set to host “an alliance of democracies” meeting in Washington, where countries will “discuss the future” and “hold China accountable to follow the rules.” Biden’s third step, he said, will be to ensure the US stands up for its values and calls out China’s abuses of human rights. And we can’t sustain effective alliances without showing how they deliver for the American people.” Acknowledging the severe strain that US democracy and values have come under in recent years, Blinken added that the main challenge the US and allies have is to demonstrate “that in fact, democracies are more adept at delivering what people need and what they want.” Biden said Thursday that he doesn’t criticize China for its ambitions.