As a senator and vice president, Joe Biden — like politicians from both parties and presidents dating back to Ronald Reagan — embraced the idea that the U.S. could coax China into acting as a “responsible stakeholder.” As the Democratic presidential nominee, Biden now calls Chinese President Xi Jinping a “thug.” Until recently, the consensus in Washington held that more trade and dialogue with Beijing would help defuse tensions and eventually bring China into the liberal world order shaped by America.
As a senator and vice president, Joe Biden — like politicians from both parties and presidents dating back to Ronald Reagan — embraced the idea that the U.S. could coax China into acting as a “responsible stakeholder.” As the Democratic presidential nominee, Biden now calls Chinese President Xi Jinping a “thug.” Until recently, the consensus in Washington held that more trade and dialogue with Beijing would help defuse tensions and eventually bring China into the liberal world order shaped by America.