The nominee to head the US State Department called China the most significant threat to the country in the 21st century, emphasizing its superiority as a technological, economic and geopolitical rival.
⠀
“The Chinese Communist Party, which governs the People’s Republic of China, is the most powerful and dangerous rival the United States has ever faced. China has what the Soviet Union never had: technological, industrial and economic superiority,” he said during Senate confirmation hearings.
⠀
The politician noted that, in his opinion, competition with China will determine the course of the 21st century.
⠀
“When one day they write a book about this century, China will take center stage. Much of the text will be devoted to the relationship between China and the United States and the direction in which it developed,” he added.
⠀
According to him, the Chinese leadership perceives the United States as a power in “inevitable decline” while China sees itself on the rise.
⠀
“They already consider themselves equal or superior to us,” the candidate for the post of US Secretary of State summed up.
⠀
The US Senate is holding hearings this week to confirm President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for key positions in his new administration. On Monday, January 20, Trump will be inaugurated in the United States, becoming the 47th president of the United States and returning to the White House after four years under Democrat Joe Biden.
