Sharjah24 - AFP: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will call for China to abide by international rules as he delivers a major speech Thursday on America's relationship with its rival.
Days after President Joe Biden visited Japan and South Korea to shore up key alliances, Blinken will give a long-awaited speech billed as the most comprehensive statement by the administration yet on China.
In a contrast with the abrasive approach of Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, Blinken will steer clear of talk of a sweeping global conflict and will not ask nations to shun China, officials said.
"This is not about a new Cold War. This is not about dividing the world into rigid ideological blocs," a senior official said as he previewed the speech.
"It is not about containing or keeping down any power. It is about upholding and, just as importantly, revitalizing the international order in a way that protects core principles that have enabled peace and prosperity for decades -- and, indeed, enabled China's remarkable rise."
The White House had long mulled whether Biden should deliver the speech but finally decided it would be given by Blinken, part of the administration's attempt to compete with China but also lower the temperature.
Blinken had been set to deliver the speech, to take place at George Washington University with the Asia Society as host, in early May but postponed it after being diagnosed with Covid-19.
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