Biden vows to confront rising power of China

The US Vice President Joe Biden says Washington has devised a new policy in a bid to counter the rising power and influence of China. Joe Biden on Saturday addressing cadets of the US Military Academy during a graduation ceremony in West Point, New York, spoke about the United States’ shift in policy-making. Biden said the United States will continue to take charge internationally and focus on Asia, particularly China which he called ‘the most critical relationship to get right.’ His remarks were in line with President Barack Obama’s newly announced military strategy that would focus US attention on Asia. Obama delivered the speech at the US Air Force Academy last Wednesday. The US vice president focused said US combat troops have returned home from Iraq, the conflict in Afghanistan is winding down and American commandos killed al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in May 2011. Obama earlier this year unveiled a new military strategy that would "pivot" US attention to Asia. Biden’s remarks come nearly ten days after the Pentagon said it believes China spent up to $180 billion on its military buildup last year, a far higher figure than acknowledged by Beijing, and it accused "Chinese actors" of being the world's biggest perpetrators of economic espionage. "Chinese actors are the world's most active and persistent perpetrators of economic espionage," the report said. "Chinese attempts to collect US technological and economic information will continue at a high level and will represent a growing and persistent threat to US economic security." The report was the first by the Pentagon since President Barack Obama last year launched a policy "pivot" to reinforce US influence across the Asia-Pacific, even as planned belt-tightening shrinks the size of the US military in many other parts of the world.