Former Vice President Joe Biden dismissed the threat from China during a 2020 campaign rally in Iowa City, Iowa on Wednesday.
He said:
China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man. They can’t even figure out how to deal with the fact that they have this great division between the China Sea and the mountains in the East. I mean in the West. They can’t figure out how they are going to deal with the corruption that exists within the system. I mean, you know, they’re not bad folks, folks. But guess what: they’re not competition for us.
Biden’s remarks echo similar speeches he has delivered in his career about the strength of the American ideal and the economic and educational power of the United States that ultimately would beat foreign countries in Asia.
“We have the wealthiest and most prosperous economy in the world in the history of the world including China, we have the most powerful military in the history of the world,” he told Delaware Democrats in March before launching his campaign.
In the same speech, he boasted about the productivity of the American worker versus workers in Asia.
“I hear these stories about how China is going to eat our lunch. Give me a break!” he said.
During his campaign speech on Wednesday, Biden boasted that he had met with “virtually” every leader of the world throughout his political career, suggesting they were envious of the status of the United States.
“I don’t know a single solitary one who would not change places with the problems the president of the United States versus the problems they have,” he said.
The economic and military competition with China remains a focal point for President Donald Trump, as he continues negotiating a better trade deal for the American worker.
Former Vice President Biden has not detailed specific policies to handle the ballooning trade deficit with China, the rise of their military or talked about reforming trade deals with China since launching his 2020 campaign.