Biden States in State of the Union Address "Will Act if China Threatens US Sovereignty"

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] U.S. President Joe Biden stated on the 7th (local time), "If China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country."

In his State of the Union address at the joint session of Congress that night, President Biden said, "I made it clear to Chinese President Xi Jinping that we seek competition, not conflict," adding, "I promise to cooperate with China in areas where it can advance U.S. interests and benefit the world."

However, he emphasized, "Make no mistake," and "As I have already made clear, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country, and we have already done so."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The U.S. president delivers the State of the Union annually according to the Constitution. It is an occasion to inform the public of the broad direction of national governance and to seek cooperation from Congress. This year's address took place amid concerns that U.S.-China relations could worsen following the recent downing of a Chinese reconnaissance balloon detected in U.S. airspace.

President Biden pointed out, "To win the competition with China, everyone must unite," and "We face serious challenges worldwide."

He also claimed, "Democracy has not weakened but strengthened over the past two years," and "Authoritarian regimes have not grown stronger but weaker." He stated that the U.S. is "reassembling the world to address challenges ranging from climate, global health, food security, terrorism, to territorial invasions." He added, "Those opposing the U.S. are learning just how wrong they are."

Earlier, the U.S. Department of Defense detected a balloon entering U.S. airspace on the 28th of last month. President Biden ordered a review of a shootdown on the 1st. Concerned about ground damage, U.S. authorities shot down the balloon with an F-22 stealth fighter's air-to-air missile on the 4th, shortly after it moved over the Atlantic Ocean. The Department of Defense confirmed that while reconnaissance balloons had entered U.S. airspace three times during former President Donald Trump's administration and once during the Biden administration, this was the first time one was detected.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

In his speech outlining the direction of governance for the latter half of his term, President Biden stated, "My vision is to restore the soul of the nation, rebuild the middle class that is the backbone of America, and unify the country."

He said, "America's story is one of progress and resilience," adding, "We are the only country that emerges from crises stronger than before. That is what we do again." He also explained, "Two years ago, our economy was staggering, but we have since created a record 12 million jobs," and "In the past two years, we have created more jobs than any president has in four years." Regarding COVID-19, he self-assessed, "Today, COVID no longer controls our lives."

President Biden then appealed to the Republican Party, which became the majority in the House of Representatives, saying, "The people have sent us a clear message," and "If we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we cannot work together in the new Congress," urging cooperation.