Beijing Blasts Biden Nominee’s ‘Cold War Zero-Sum Mentality’

The testimony of Nicholas Burns, President Joe Biden’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to China, at his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing Wednesday, smacked of a “Cold War zero-sum mentality” that Beijing rejects, said a Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Thursday. “We oppose defining China-U.S. ties as competitive,” the spokesperson said. “Even when there is competition between the two sides in such pragmatic areas as economy and trade, it is healthy competition.” The U.S. will "compete vigorously" with China "where we should, including on jobs and the economy, critical infrastructure, and emerging technologies," Burns said. Washington must hold Beijing “accountable for failing to play by the rules on trade and investment, including its thefts of intellectual property, use of state subsidies, dumping of goods, and unfair labor practices,” he said.