The United States will not force any country to choose between Washington and Beijing, according to an excerpt of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s speech set to be made at the NATO headquarter.
“The United States won’t force allies into an ‘us-or-them’ choice with China,” Blinken will claim on Wednesday.
“Countries can work with China where possible,” he will say, adding that climate change is one of the areas that needs cooperation with China.
The US top diplomat is also supposed to slam Beijing for its alleged disrespect for the international law.
“They are actively working to undercut the rules of the international system and the values we and our allies share,” Blinken is expected to say.
“If we work together to make real our positive vision for the international order ... we’re confident that we can outcompete China on any playing field,” he is set to say.
The tensions between the US and China have intensified during the last days after the senior diplomats of the two countries clashed during their first high-level meeting under the Biden administration in Anchorage, Alaska, on Thursday.
The meeting kicked off with the American team accusing China of threatening world stability and Chinese officials saying the US is a human rights hypocrite because of its mistreatment of Black citizens.
Ties between Washington and Beijing particularly soured under former US president Donald Trump, who clashed with China on trade, technology, and regional security, among other things.
Later, President Joe Biden also backed Trump’s tough approach towards China, saying that the US would continue to confront what he has called China's "attack on human rights, intellectual property and global governance."
Beijing has rejected those charges, asserting that the US must stop interfering in its internal affairs.