President Biden addressed China "without saying 'China'" during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, stressing the United States' desire to avoid a "new Cold War."
Biden delivered his remarks to world leaders at the U.N. assembly, calling for collective action to end the COVID-19 pandemic and saying the world is at an "inflection point in history." He also said that it's important for world powers to "carefully manage their relationships so they do not tip from responsible competition to conflict."
While he noted that the United States will "compete vigorously" and will "stand up for our allies," he said, "We are not seeking a new Cold War, or a world divided into rigid blocks." Biden added, "The United States is ready to work with any nation that steps up and pursues peaceful resolution to shared challenges, even if we have intense disagreements in other areas."
Bloomberg's Jennifer Epstein summed up this section of the speech as "Biden on China, without saying 'China." The "Cold War" comment was previewed Monday in a report from Axios, prompting Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) to respond, "Whether he seeks it or not, we are in one."