Joe Biden Doesn’t Believe China is an Economic Threat to America

Joe Biden drastically downplayed the economic challenge that China poses to the United States during a campaign stop in Iowa:

Biden (5/1/19): “China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man.”

“They’re not bad folks, folks. But guess what? They’re not competition for us.” 

The quip reminds the casual observer of the way Biden and the Obama re-election campaign downplayed Russia as a geopolitical threat during the 2012 election.

The target of their ire in 2012 — Mitt Romney — pointed out the short-sightedness of Biden’s comments on China.

Bernie Sanders also took the opportunity to take a swing at Biden over the comments. Sanders pointed out that he had voted against a China trade deal Biden voted for that Sanders links to the loss of 3 million manufacturing jobs in the U.S.

Sanders also noted that “it’s wrong to pretend that China isn’t one of our major economic competitors.”

Biden’s dismissive comments come only a few days after U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials spoke to the Wall Street Journal about China’s escalating espionage activities against the U.S.

In a March 2019 Gallup poll, 46% of Americans polled said that “China’s economic power poses a “critical threat” to vital U.S. interests over the next 10 years.” 41% of Americans surveyed had a favorable view of China — a 12% point drop from the previous year.