The Facts
On Thursday, US Pres. Joe Biden described China as a "ticking time bomb," because of its weak economic growth, high unemployment, and the country's aging population.
Biden stated that, despite the US wanting a rational relationship with Beijing, the nation has, "got some problems." He continued, saying: "That's not good because when bad folks have problems, they do bad things."
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
The Biden administration continues to engage in the unfortunate escalation of strategic competition between the US and the PRC. Due to ideological fears, the US is continuing to attempt to isolate China economically from the rest of the world. The US' anxiety-driven overreactions to China and its inevitable growth will only fuel tensions and global danger. Washington's continued hostility towards Beijing benefits nobody.
Anti-China narrative
While its economy was to be envied two years ago, China is struggling today. Xi Jinping's erratic behavior and erroneous zero COVID policy have stunted China's growth. Though the country's economy is in shambles, China still poses a credible threat to the global order, and it doesn't take a xenophobe to be worried about the international influence of an increasingly autocratic state.
