Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

US To Maintain "Strong" Military Presence In Indo-Pacific: Biden Tells China

US To Maintain "Strong" Military Presence In Indo-Pacific: Biden Tells China

After addressing Harris in his opening remarks as Madam Vice-President, Biden added: "No president has ever said those words from this podium. And it's about time."
Declaring that "America is rising anew" under his leadership, President Joe Biden has told China that the US will maintain a "strong" military presence in the Indo-Pacific "not to start conflict, but to prevent one" as Beijing became more assertive in the strategically vital region.

Using his maiden address to the joint session of Congress on the eve of his 100th day in office to make a strong case for huge new investments and tax reforms to overhaul the US economy and rebuild the middle class, Biden said, "we have acted to restore the people's faith in our democracy to deliver."

In a historic moment, Vice President Kamala Harris - the first woman to hold the second highest office - and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi both sat behind Biden during Wednesday night's prime time address. It was the first time two women appeared behind the president during a speech to Congress.

After addressing Harris in his opening remarks as Madam Vice-President, Biden added: "No president has ever said those words from this podium. And it's about time."

In his 65-minute address, Biden spent the majority of his time to discuss his economic and infrastructure plans for the nation, his foreign policy vision for America's role in the world and the coronavirus pandemic and other health care issues.

"Life can knock us down. But in America, we never stay down. In America, we always get up. And today, that's what we're doing: America is rising anew," he said.

"After 100 Days of rescue and renewal, America is ready for takeoff. We are working again. Dreaming again. Discovering again. Leading the world again. We have shown each other and the world: There is no quit in America," he said.

Biden then went on to describe a two-hour conversation he had with Chinese President Xi Jinping upon taking office in January.

"I told President Xi that we will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific just as we do with NATO in Europe, not to start conflict, but to prevent conflict," he said.

China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims.

China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region. Both areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are also vital to global trade.

Biden said that he also told Xi that "we welcome the competition - and that we are not looking for conflict."

"But I made absolutely clear that I will defend American interests across the board," he added.

He said America will stand up to "unfair" trade practices that undercut American workers and industries, like subsidies for state-owned enterprises and the theft of American technologies and intellectual property.

"He's (President Xi) deadly earnest on becoming the most significant, consequential nation in the world. He and others, autocrats, think that democracy can't compete in the 21st century with autocracies. It takes too long to get consensus," he said.

Biden also said that he told Xi what he has said to many world leaders - that America won't back away from its commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms.

"No responsible American president can remain silent when basic human rights are violated. A president has to represent the essence of our country," he added.

Biden offered stern words for his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, saying he made it very clear to him that while the US doesn't seek escalation, their actions have consequences.

"I responded in a direct and proportionate way to Russia's interference in our elections and cyber attacks on our government and businesses - and they did both of those things and I did respond," Biden said.

"But we can also cooperate when it's in our mutual interests," he said.

Biden also said that the climate crisis is not America's fight alone, but a global one as he asserted that he pushed for the US to meet its international obligations to slow the impact of climate change.

He said that the US accounts for less than 15 per cent of carbon emissions while the rest of the world accounts for 85 per cent. "That's why - I kept my commitment to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement on my first day in office," he said.

While former president Barack Obama signed the Paris Climate Accord his successor Donald Trump pulled the US out, calling it unfair to American coal miners and the energy industry. Biden has rejoined the landmark accord soon after assuming office.

"I kept my commitment to convene a climate summit in America of all the major economies in the world, China, Russia, India, European Union. I started doing it in my first 100 days," Biden said.

"I wanted the world to see that there is consensus that we are at an inflection point in history. And the consensus is if we act, we can save the planet - and we can create millions of jobs and economic growth and opportunity to raise the standard of living for everyone in the world," he added.

Assuring fellow citizens that his administration will maintain capabilities to suppress future threats to the homeland, Biden said that after 20 years of American valour and sacrifice in Afghanistan, it's time to bring troops home.

"But make no mistake - the terrorist threat has evolved beyond Afghanistan since 2001 and we will remain vigilant against threats to the United States, wherever they come from," he said.

Biden also touted the success of his administration's COVID-19 vaccine rollout and urged everyone to get vaccinated against the deadly disease that has claimed over 574,000 lives in the country.

He quoted the IMF as saying that the US economy will grow at the rate of more than 6 per cent this year. "That will be the fastest pace of economic growth in this country in four decades," he said.

He proposed a USD 1.8 trillion investment in children, families and education to help rebuild an economy devastated by the virus and compete with rising global competitors.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×