China 'Aspires' To Be 'Evil Empire' Under Xi Jinping, Says Pence In Jibe At Trump

The former Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, slammed Chinese leader Xi Jinping in his keynote address at the Nixon Presidential Library’s national energy conference on Wednesday.

What Happened: Pence, in his speech, rebuffed recent comments by ex-president Donald Trump who hailed the Chinese President Xi as a “brilliant man.”

"China may not yet be an Evil Empire, but under President Xi, it certainly aspires to become one. President Xi's vision for the world is one in which freedom is constrained, but Beijing's power is not…The only antidote is American strength," said Pence.

See Also: Obama Praises Xi Jinping, Blames Trump For Strained US-China Ties: ‘The US President Didn’t Seem To Care…’

Pence criticized the Chinese administration for wargames near Taiwan and its "aggressive military maneuvers in the South China Sea."

"In recent years, China has only grown bolder in repressing religious liberty, trampling human rights, committing trade abuses, threatening Taiwan…," said the former U.S. leader. 

This came after Trump, in his recent interview with Fox News's Tucker Carlson, described Xi as "top of the line" and a "brilliant man."

See Also: Xi Jinping Reluctant To Engage In Talks Amid Washington’s Push For ‘Constructive Diplomacy,’ Says US

"Some people say Xi is a ‘brilliant man.' I happen to think he's an evil man, whose vision for the world is one in which freedom is constrained, but Beijing's power is not," Pence said in an apparent reference to Trump's comments. 

Why It Matters: The ex-vice president, who is a potential Republican candidate for the 2024 U.S. presidential elections, has recently made various critical comments about Trump without explicitly mentioning his former boss.

Last month, Pence, slamming Trump, said the Capitol riots put him and his family in danger. After which, the former president hit back, saying the deadly attack was his vice-president’s fault.

Read Next: Taiwan Could Lose Last Latin-American Ally To Xi Jinping As China Dangles ‘Opportunities’