President Joe Biden has raised concerns about China, calling it a ticking time bomb during a fundraising event in Park City, Utah. Although the full context of his remarks is not clear, Biden highlighted China’s high unemployment and aging population as potential challenges that could lead to instability. The president expressed his desire for a rational relationship with China but stated that he would closely monitor the situation. It is unclear which specific flashpoints Biden had in mind, but US officials are worried about the potential for Chinese President Xi Jinping to attempt to reunify Taiwan with the mainland by force.
Biden’s remarks come at a time when House Republicans are considering launching an impeachment inquiry into his son Hunter Biden and his brother James Biden’s foreign business dealings, including ventures in China. Former President Donald Trump accused Biden of being weak on China and suggested that he had financial ties to the country. Hunter Biden co-founded a Chinese state-backed investment fund in 2013, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.
Critics of the president also argue that he has not done enough to pressure China to halt fentanyl exports, which have contributed to record-high overdose deaths in the United States. The chemical, largely sourced from China, caused an estimated 75,000 deaths in 2022 alone.
Furthermore, Biden has faced criticism for not pushing China for more transparency regarding the origins of COVID-19. With over a million Americans dead from the virus, questions remain about whether it originated from a Wuhan laboratory conducting risky research.
