Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - A bipartisan U.S. congressional push to counteract China picked up steam on Wednesday as a Senate committee overwhelmingly backed a bill pressing Beijing on human rights and economic competition, while other lawmakers introduced a measure seeking billions for technology research.The Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed the "Strategic Competition Act of 2021" by 21-1, sending the bill for consideration by the 100-member Senate, even as committee members voiced a need to do even more to counteract...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - A bipartisan U.S. congressional push to counteract China picked up steam on Wednesday as a Senate committee overwhelmingly backed a bill pressing Beijing on human rights and economic competition, while other lawmakers introduced a measure seeking billions for technology research.The Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed the "Strategic Competition Act of 2021" by 21-1, sending the bill for consideration by the 100-member Senate, even as committee members voiced a need to do even more to counteract...WW…

By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday said he would prevent China from passing the United States to become the most powerful country in the world, vowing to invest heavily to ensure America prevails in the race between the world’s two largest economies.Biden said he had spent “hours upon hours” with Xi Jinping when he served as vice president under former President Barack Obama, and was convinced the Chinese president believed autocracy - not democracy - held the key to the future.The Democratic president said he had made it clear to Xi that the United States...…By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday said he would prevent China from passing the United States to become the most powerful country in the world, vowing to invest heavily to ensure America prevails in the race between the world’s two largest economies.Biden said he had spent “hours upon hours” with Xi Jinping when he served as vice president under former President Barack Obama, and was convinced the Chinese president believed autocracy - not democracy - held the key to the future.The Democratic president said he had made it clear to Xi that the United States...WW…

By , , ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - U.S. and Chinese officials concluded on Friday what Washington called “tough and direct” talks in Alaska, which laid bare the depth of tensions between the world’s two largest economies at the outset of the Biden administration.The two days of meetings, the first high-level in-person talks since President Joe Biden took office, wrapped up after a rare and fiery kickoff on Thursday when the two sides publicly skewered each others’ policies in front of TV cameras.The talks appeared to yield no diplomatic breakthroughs - as expected - but the bitter rivalry...…By , , ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - U.S. and Chinese officials concluded on Friday what Washington called “tough and direct” talks in Alaska, which laid bare the depth of tensions between the world’s two largest economies at the outset of the Biden administration.The two days of meetings, the first high-level in-person talks since President Joe Biden took office, wrapped up after a rare and fiery kickoff on Thursday when the two sides publicly skewered each others’ policies in front of TV cameras.The talks appeared to yield no diplomatic breakthroughs - as expected - but the bitter rivalry...WW…

By , , ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - U.S. and Chinese officials concluded on Friday what Washington called “tough and direct” talks in Alaska, which laid bare the depth of tensions between the world’s two largest economies at the outset of the Biden administration.The two days of meetings, the first high-level in-person talks since President Joe Biden took office, wrapped up after a rare and fiery kickoff on Thursday when the two sides publicly skewered each others’ policies in front of TV cameras.The talks appeared to yield no diplomatic breakthroughs - as expected - but the bitter rivalry...…By , , ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - U.S. and Chinese officials concluded on Friday what Washington called “tough and direct” talks in Alaska, which laid bare the depth of tensions between the world’s two largest economies at the outset of the Biden administration.The two days of meetings, the first high-level in-person talks since President Joe Biden took office, wrapped up after a rare and fiery kickoff on Thursday when the two sides publicly skewered each others’ policies in front of TV cameras.The talks appeared to yield no diplomatic breakthroughs - as expected - but the bitter rivalry...WW…

By , , ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - U.S. and Chinese officials concluded on Friday what Washington called “tough and direct” talks in Alaska, which laid bare the depth of tensions between the world’s two largest economies at the outset of the Biden administration.The two days of meetings, the first high-level in-person talks since President Joe Biden took office, wrapped up after a rare and fiery kickoff on Thursday when the two sides publicly skewered each others’ policies in front of TV cameras.The talks appeared to yield no diplomatic breakthroughs - as expected - but the bitter rivalry...…By , , ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - U.S. and Chinese officials concluded on Friday what Washington called “tough and direct” talks in Alaska, which laid bare the depth of tensions between the world’s two largest economies at the outset of the Biden administration.The two days of meetings, the first high-level in-person talks since President Joe Biden took office, wrapped up after a rare and fiery kickoff on Thursday when the two sides publicly skewered each others’ policies in front of TV cameras.The talks appeared to yield no diplomatic breakthroughs - as expected - but the bitter rivalry...WW…

By , , ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - U.S. and Chinese officials concluded on Friday what Washington called “tough and direct” talks in Alaska, which laid bare the depth of tensions between the world’s two largest economies at the outset of the Biden administration.The two days of meetings, the first high-level in-person talks since President Joe Biden took office, wrapped up after a rare and fiery kickoff on Thursday when the two sides publicly skewered each others’ policies in front of TV cameras.The talks appeared to yield no diplomatic breakthroughs - as expected - but the bitter rivalry...…By , , ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - U.S. and Chinese officials concluded on Friday what Washington called “tough and direct” talks in Alaska, which laid bare the depth of tensions between the world’s two largest economies at the outset of the Biden administration.The two days of meetings, the first high-level in-person talks since President Joe Biden took office, wrapped up after a rare and fiery kickoff on Thursday when the two sides publicly skewered each others’ policies in front of TV cameras.The talks appeared to yield no diplomatic breakthroughs - as expected - but the bitter rivalry...WW…

By , , WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States will take an uncompromising stance in talks with China on Thursday in Alaska, officials have said, in the first face-to-face meetings between senior officials from the two rivals since U.S. President Joe Biden took office.Beijing has called for a reset to ties, now at their lowest in decades, but Washington has said the Alaska talks will be a one-off, and any future engagement depends on China improving its behavior.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan will meet China’s top diplomat Yang...…By , , WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States will take an uncompromising stance in talks with China on Thursday in Alaska, officials have said, in the first face-to-face meetings between senior officials from the two rivals since U.S. President Joe Biden took office.Beijing has called for a reset to ties, now at their lowest in decades, but Washington has said the Alaska talks will be a one-off, and any future engagement depends on China improving its behavior.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan will meet China’s top diplomat Yang...WW…

By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and three of its closest Indo-Pacific partners committed to supplying up to a billion coronavirus vaccine doses across Asia by the end of 2022 at a summit on Friday carefully choreographed to counter China’s growing influence.President Joe Biden and the leaders of Australia, India and Japan - countries together known as the Quad - pledged at their first summit to work to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific and to cooperate on maritime, cyber and economic security, issues vital to the four democracies in the face of challenges from...…By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and three of its closest Indo-Pacific partners committed to supplying up to a billion coronavirus vaccine doses across Asia by the end of 2022 at a summit on Friday carefully choreographed to counter China’s growing influence.President Joe Biden and the leaders of Australia, India and Japan - countries together known as the Quad - pledged at their first summit to work to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific and to cooperate on maritime, cyber and economic security, issues vital to the four democracies in the face of challenges from...WW…

By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and three of its closest Indo-Pacific partners committed to supplying up to a billion coronavirus vaccine doses across Asia by the end of 2022 at a summit on Friday carefully choreographed to counter China’s growing influence.President Joe Biden and the leaders of Australia, India and Japan - countries together known as the Quad - pledged at their first summit to work to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific and to cooperate on maritime, cyber and economic security, issues vital to the four democracies in the face of challenges from...…By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and three of its closest Indo-Pacific partners committed to supplying up to a billion coronavirus vaccine doses across Asia by the end of 2022 at a summit on Friday carefully choreographed to counter China’s growing influence.President Joe Biden and the leaders of Australia, India and Japan - countries together known as the Quad - pledged at their first summit to work to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific and to cooperate on maritime, cyber and economic security, issues vital to the four democracies in the face of challenges from...WW…

By , , (Reuters) - With bilateral relations in free-fall, Beijing is bracing for more turbulence in the run-up to the U.S. election in November, and the possibility that a Joe Biden presidency presents an opportunity to avoid a deeper conflict.Washington’s demand this week that China shut its Houston consulate in 72 hours infuriated Beijing and forced a retaliatory order to close the U.S. consulate in Chengdu.As usual, China did not directly criticize President Donald Trump, who often speaks of his personal friendship with President Xi Jinping, but in caustic editorials state media...…By , , (Reuters) - With bilateral relations in free-fall, Beijing is bracing for more turbulence in the run-up to the U.S. election in November, and the possibility that a Joe Biden presidency presents an opportunity to avoid a deeper conflict.Washington’s demand this week that China shut its Houston consulate in 72 hours infuriated Beijing and forced a retaliatory order to close the U.S. consulate in Chengdu.As usual, China did not directly criticize President Donald Trump, who often speaks of his personal friendship with President Xi Jinping, but in caustic editorials state media...WW…