Biden Speculates China's Economic Woes May Deter Taiwan Invasion: 'Probably Doesn't Have The Same Capacity As ... Before'

President Joe Biden shed light on the potential repercussions of China's economic downturn on its geopolitical strategies, notably concerning Taiwan.

What Happened: The remarks were made during his visit to Vietnam on Friday, which followed the G-20 leaders summit held in India, Bloomberg reported. 

During a press conference in Hanoi, Biden shared his observations on the economic hurdles China is currently navigating. The president attributed them to a myriad of factors, including stagnated international growth and the nation's own policies.

Biden suggested that the economic constraints could lessen China's aggressive postures towards Taiwan, saying, "I don’t think it’s going to cause China to invade Taiwan, matter of fact the opposite, probably doesn’t have the same capacity as it had before." 

The president pinpointed the forthcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco as a potential ground for dialogue. 

Also Read: China Irked Over Taiwan Vice President's US Trip, Launches Military Drills Around Island

Addressing the escalating tech rivalry between the U.S. and China, Biden touched upon the latter's recent move to potentially prohibit the use of iPhones by its state-owned enterprises. 

He also reiterated his stance against facilitating China in enhancing its nuclear or defense capabilities.

"I’m not going to sell China material that would increase their capacity to make more nuclear weapons or engage in defense activities," Biden said.

Biden's remarks came amidst Huawei's introduction of a smartphone equipped with technology that the U.S. has been striving to restrict in China, raising doubts over the effectiveness of U.S. regulatory measures.

The president emphasized his commitment to fostering a transparent relationship with China, devoid of any containment strategy.

"I don’t want to contain China, I just want to make sure that we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it’s all about," he said. 

According to the report, Biden also acknowledged the efforts undertaken by U.S. cabinet members, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, to foster dialogue with their Chinese counterparts.

Now Read: US Shows Support To Taiwan With $345 Million In Arms Amid China's Protests

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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