U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. will seek to influence China’s behavior by shaping the world around Beijing in remarks that took direct aim at President Xi Jinping’s performance leading the world’s second-biggest economy.
"Under President Xi, the ruling Chinese Communist Party has become more repressive at home and more aggressive abroad,” Blinken said Thursday in a speech laying out the U.S. approach toward China. "We cannot rely on Beijing to change its trajectory. So we will shape the strategic environment around Beijing to advance our vision for an open, inclusive international system.”
Blinken warned that China is seeking to dominate the industries of the future and said the U.S. response will be to bolster investment at home; work closely with allies, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region; and compete with China on a "level playing field.” He said Xi’s government is actively undercutting the international system that aided China’s own rise.