The US wants stable relations with China and is not trying to strangle its economy. This was stated by the US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Political Affairs Elbridge Colby, speaking at the Munich Security Conference.
„We are not trying to strangle China...“ China believes that we are trying to stifle their economic growth or to limit them, but we are not trying to do that. What we want is to make sure that we, our allies and our partners act from a position of strength,“ he said.
Colby noted that Washington is interested in „stable and good relations with China“, wants to „avoid conflicts... and engage in mutually beneficial trade“. „We understand "However, we must do so from a position of strength," he added. "We understand and respect China's enormous achievements in economic development and its significant military buildup." "We act accordingly - with respect and a sober assessment of the situation, in order to achieve a favorable balance of power and stability," the deputy Pentagon chief concluded.