China demands Biden ditch allies: US not 'qualified’ to speak from position of strength

Chinese officials are demanding President Biden ditch U.S. allies facing economic pressure from Beijing in a testy opening encounter at a high-stakes Alaska meeting characterized by barbs over recent upheaval in the United States.

“So let me say here that, in front of the Chinese side, the United States does not have the qualification to say that it wants to speak to China from a position of strength,” Chinese Politburo member Yang Jiechi said. “The U.S. side was not even qualified to say such things even 20 years or 30 years back, because this is not the way to deal with the Chinese people.”

That truculent comment came in an off-script contretemps that followed the opening remarks that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan exchanged with Chinese officials in Anchorage. Yang delivered an extensive statement, speaking longer than the two minutes allotted by agreement, according to U.S. officials, featuring jibes about the putative weaknesses of American democracy.