Biden says Xi was unaware of the spy balloon
This was not the first time Mr Biden has made casual comments about foreign policy at a fundraiser. At another such event in New York in October, he warned donors that the world was closer to nuclear annihilation than at any time since John F. Kennedy took on Nikita S. Khrushchev in 1962 over Soviet missiles in Cuba. the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis,” Mr. Biden said at the time, provoking a nervous reaction.
In California, Mr. Biden addressed Democratic backers on Tuesday at the home of Mark Robinson, an investment banker, and his wife, Stephanie Robinson, who has worked as a management consultant and investment banker. In offering a broad overview of international affairs, Mr. Biden focused on China, which has been on his mind lately. He took the opportunity to try to temper US concerns about Beijing’s economic rise and growing assertiveness on the world stage.
“Don’t worry about China,” Biden said. “I mean, worry about China, but don’t worry about China,” he added with a laugh. ‘No, but I really mean it. China is real – has real economic problems.”
After discussing the spy balloon, the president went on to say that Mr Xi was frustrated by Mr Biden’s efforts to strengthen the Quad, an alignment of the United States, Japan, Australia and India seen as a counterpoint to the Chinese influence in the Indo. -Pacific region. Mr Biden met with the Quad leaders last month on the sidelines of the Group of 7 meeting in Hiroshima, Japan.
“What he was really angry about was my insistence that we reunite the so-called Quad,” Mr Biden said. “He called me and told me not to do that because it would get him into trouble. I said, ‘Everything we’re doing – we’re not trying to surround you, we’re just trying to keep the international rules of air and sea routes open.’ And we’re not going to give in to that – about that.
“So now,” he added, “we have India, Australia, Japan and the United States working hand in hand in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.”
Julian E Barnes reporting contributed.