Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday accused China of curtailing "rights and liberties" in Hong Kong in a wide-ranging critique of Beijing's behavior but also insisted that the United States does not seek confrontation or to "de-couple" from its main economic rival.
Pence delivered a major policy address on China just ahead of a new round of talks aimed at resolving a bitter trade war between the world's two biggest economies.
"No longer will America and its leaders hope that economic engagement alone will transform Communist China's authoritarian state into a free and open society that respects private property, the rule of law, and the international rules of commerce," he said.