China says it was smeared in Biden State of the Union speech

BEIJING (AP) — China says it was smeared in U.S. President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address that repeatedly mentioned competition between the two countries. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson says China does not fear competing with the U.S. but is “opposed to defining the entire China-U.S. relationship in terms of competition.” She says a responsible nation would not smear another country or restrict its legitimate development rights under the excuse of competition. In his address, Biden focused on how the U.S. is prepared to compete with Beijing while also seeking to avoid conflict. However, he warned that the U.S. would respond to threats to its sovereignty, a reference to its shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon.