China Won’t Comment on Biden’s Secretary of State Pick

The Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry declined comment Monday on Antony Blinken, a former State Department deputy in the Obama administration, as President-elect Joe Biden’s pick to become secretary of state. “We don't comment on U.S. internal affairs,” said a ministry spokesperson. “China is ready to strengthen communication with the United States, expand cooperation, manage differences, and work for sound and stable development of China-U.S. ties.” The U.S. is at a “strategic disadvantage” against China because the Trump administration tried to strong-arm Beijing without enlisting the help of U.S. allies, Blinken told a Hudson Institute event July 9. “We need to rally our allies and partners instead of alienating them to deal with some of the challenges that China poses.” The U.S. generates about a quarter of the world’s GDP, said Blinken. “When we're working with allies and partners, depending on who we bring into the mix, it's 50 or 60% of GDP. That's a lot more weight and a lot harder for China to ignore.”