Key takeaways:
- President Joe Biden said that the Chinese spy balloon did not damage bilateral relations between the two countries.
- Biden said that his staff didn’t do a good enough job packing up his previous offices and that the items found were from 1974 and stray papers.
- Biden has sought to emphasize his commitment to competing with China without looking for conflict and is taking the investigation into his handling of classified documents seriously.
In an interview with PBS NewsHour on Wednesday, President Joe Biden addressed the recent discovery of a Chinese spy balloon that traversed the continental US. Biden said that the balloon did not damage bilateral relations between the two countries.
“I made it real clear to Xi Jinping that we’re going to compete fully with China, but we’re not looking for conflict,” Biden said.
The President also addressed an investigation into his handling of classified documents dating back to his time in the Senate and the vice presidency. Biden said that his staff didn’t do a good enough job packing up his previous offices and that the items found were from 1974 and stray papers.
Biden’s response marks the second time this week that he’s sought to downplay the effect of the balloon, which US officials deemed a “brazen” act by Beijing. He added that there may be something else he doesn’t know about the incident.
The President’s comments come a day after his second State of the Union address. Biden has sought to emphasize his commitment to competing with China without looking for conflict. He has also sought to reassure the public that he is taking the investigation into his handling of classified documents seriously.
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