Biden says Russia is biggest threat to US, China a competitor
Washington, Oct 25 (efe-epa).- United States elections canditate Joe Biden says Russia is the country that most “threatens the security” of the country, adding that China is its main competitor, with whom a rivalry could become “more serious” in coming years.
During an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS News’ “60 Minutes” program, Biden said he thought the biggest threat to the United States right now, in the sense of breaking our security and our alliances, it’s Russia.”
Biden added that the US’ “biggest competitor is China. And depending on how we handle that, it will be decided if we are competition or if we end up in a more serious competition in the sense (of use) of force.”
Interviewed during the same CBS show, US President Donald Trump answered the same question, citing only China, described the country as “a competitor and an enemy.”
United States intelligence accused Russia of interfering in the American elections of 2016 and the FBI said this week that Moscow is also trying to influence the Nov. 3 elections, something of which Washington also accuses Iran.
The relationship between the United States and Russia has remained tense under Trump, whose government has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow, but the US president himself has always avoided criticizing Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, with whom he has improved ties during his tenure.
Biden was the US vice president under the administration of Barack Obama (2009-2017), whose relationship with Putin was very cold and worsened after the Russian annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014 and as a result of the conflict in Syria.
In his interview with CBS, Biden also said not to assume he will beat Trump on Nov. 3 adding that he felt “very good about our options, but I do not underestimate the way he plays.”
He specified he was referring to “attempts” by Trump “to delegitimize the elections” by sowing mistrust in the voting by mail system, something that according to the candidate only seeks to “intimidate” people doubting whether to vote.
Also participating in the same program was Biden’s running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, who laughed when a journalist asked if she would govern from a “socialist or progressive” ideology if she comes to power, as Trump claims.
“I’m not going to be confined by Donald Trump’s definition of what I am,” said Harris, who avoided talking about her ideology and said she would defend the proposals of the party’s moderate wing.
When asked, Harris said she thought Trump is a racist, adding that becoming the first black woman to reach the US Vice Presidency would be important because “it will help change the perception who can run for the position.
The program also included an interview with Trump, to follow its tradition of speaking with the two presidential candidates before the elections, although the president was so irritated with the presenter that he published his entire conversation with her Thursday on Facebook.
The program decided to also broadcast the interview Sunday, accompanied by pauses to verify the facts and data that Trump cited, something it also did with Biden.
After the president cut the interview short and left, Vice President Mike Pence came in to speak with the bewildered reporter, justifying Trump by saying he “always speaks his mind” and knows it is not important to “grapple with the media.” EFE-EPA
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