US President Joe Biden said Friday that he is not alarmed after high-profile meetings earlier this week between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Instead, Biden said that “we are the ones who broaden alliances.”
“Look, I don’t take China lightly. I don’t take Russia lightly, but I think we grossly exaggerated it,” Biden told reporters during a news conference in Ottawa, Canada.
The president noted that while US officials recently warned of signs that China might consider increasing its military support for Russia, “they haven’t done so yet.”
“It doesn’t mean they won’t, but they haven’t yet,” Biden said. “And if something happens, the West has become significantly more allied.”
Biden went on to cite increased cooperation between alliances, including through the G7, Quad Alliance, ASEAN, and AUKUS. He added that so far he has met with 80% of world leaders.
“So, I just want to put it in perspective, I don’t take it lightly… what China and Russia are doing, and it could get significantly worse,” Biden said. But let’s put it in perspective. We are united coalitions: us, the United States and Canada.