--- title: Biden Calls China ‘Xenophobic,’ Ramping Up Campaign Rhetoric description: Biden’s remarks were among the most pointed rebukes he has delivered of the world’s second-largest economy. He also criticized Trump for his policies toward Beijing. canonical: https://time.com/6968357/biden-china-xenophobia-2024-campaign/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-04-18T02:33:26.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-01-19T11:36:48.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Biden Calls China ‘Xenophobic,’ Ramping Up Campaign Rhetoric og:description: Biden’s remarks were among the most pointed rebukes he has delivered of the world’s second-largest economy. He also criticized Trump for his policies toward Beijing. og:url: https://time.com/6968357/biden-china-xenophobia-2024-campaign/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc5d49bd027f8bfff/698a55bf457a5245b9d6a341/joe-biden-pennsylvania.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: U.S. President Joe Biden in Pittsburgh og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Biden Calls China ‘Xenophobic,’ Ramping Up Campaign Rhetoric twitter:description: Biden’s remarks were among the most pointed rebukes he has delivered of the world’s second-largest economy. He also criticized Trump for his policies toward Beijing. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc5d49bd027f8bfff/698a55bf457a5245b9d6a341/joe-biden-pennsylvania.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Biden Calls China 'Xenophobic' as He Ramps Up Campaign Rhetoric > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Justin Sink and Michelle Jamrisko / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Justin Sink and Michelle Jamrisko / Bloomberg Contributor Updated: Jan 19, 2026 11:36 AM UTCPublished: Apr 18, 2024 2:33 AM UTC  President Joe Biden speaks about tariffs on Chinese steel at the United Steelworkers Headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 17, 2024. President Joe Biden speaks about tariffs on Chinese steel at the United Steelworkers Headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 17, 2024. Kyle Mazza—Anadolu/Getty Images by [Justin Sink and Michelle Jamrisko / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Justin Sink and Michelle Jamrisko / Bloomberg Contributor Updated: Jan 19, 2026 11:36 AM UTCPublished: Apr 18, 2024 2:33 AM UTC President Joe Biden called China “xenophobic” while highlighting the Asian nation’s economic woes, as he sought to make the case for U.S. economic strength during a campaign stop in the swing state of Pennsylvania. “They’ve got a population that is more people in retirement than working. They’re not importing anything. They’re xenophobic—nobody else coming in. They’ve got real problems,” Biden said of China in remarks to steel workers in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. The president’s comments follow a phone call two weeks ago with Chinese President Xi Jinping, their first since a face-to-face meeting in November. While overall relations have stabilized of late, tensions are growing over Chinese investments in manufacturing that risk leading to job losses among blue-collar workers. The remarks were among the most pointed rebukes Biden has delivered of the world’s second-largest economy, which grew faster than expected in the first quarter even as questions persist over the strength of the recovery. China’s Foreign Ministry, which has previously hit back at such swipes, struck a measured tone on Thursday. “China wants to ask the U.S. whether it is referring to China, or the U.S. itself,” spokesman Lin Jian said at a daily briefing in Beijing. **Read More:** [_Biden Calls Xi a ‘Dictator’ Right After Praising Progress in Repairing U.S.-China Relationship_](https://time.com/6336088/biden-xi-meeting-dictator-response/) Biden also called for higher tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum, part of a series of steps to shore up the American steel sector including a pledge by the president that Japan’s Nippon Steel Corp. wouldn’t successfully acquire Pittsburgh-based United States Steel Corp. The tariffs would see the U.S. impose new 25% levies on certain Chinese steel and aluminum products as part of an ongoing review, while his administration also launches a formal probe into China’s shipbuilding industry. China’s Commerce Ministry on Wednesday blasted the U.S. review, saying it was “full of false accusations” and “based on the need of domestic politics.” Biden also criticized Donald Trump for his policies toward Beijing while in office. “Trump simply doesn’t get it,” Biden said, claiming that it’s incorrect to view China as on the rise and the U.S. falling behind. Asked as he departed Pittsburgh if the steel tariffs would hurt ties with Xi, Biden responded “no.” Chinese officials have recently sought to boost investor confidence overseas, after years of strict pandemic curbs and tighter national security controls dented sentiment. Foreign businesses’ direct investment into China slumped to a 30-year low in 2023, underscoring challenges facing Beijing. Xi’s government has expanded visa-free entry to a range of European and Asian nations of late, after he pledged “heart-warming” measures for investors last year during a trip to the U.S. However, China has so far struggled to woo back foreigners after shutting the nation off during the pandemic: The business hub of Shanghai saw 44% fewer foreign visitors in the first two months of this year compared with the same period in 2019. Imports have also been weak, with falling commodity prices and weak domestic demand due to a housing market crisis and other issues undermining Chinese purchases of foreign goods. Imports were up 1.5% in the first three months of this year, after a 5.5% drop last year. Biden also vowed to continue efforts to deny China advanced technology like computer chips, which has spurred Xi to invest in becoming more self-sufficient. “They can’t be sent to China because it would undermine our national security,” Biden said. “When I spoke with Xi Jinping he said ‘Why?’ And I said, ‘Because you’d use it for all the wrong reasons, so you’re not gonna get those advanced computer chips.’” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6968357/biden-china-xenophobia-2024-campaign/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6968357/biden-china-xenophobia-2024-campaign/"},"headline":"Biden Calls China 'Xenophobic' as He Ramps Up Campaign Rhetoric","datePublished":"2024-04-18T02:33:26.000Z","dateModified":"2026-01-19T11:36:48.000Z","description":"Biden’s remarks were among the most pointed rebukes he has delivered of the world’s second-largest economy. 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