US President Joe Biden said that China is trying hard to become "the leader of the world," adding that it must win the confidence of other countries to obtain that title, as he put it.
In an open meeting organized by "CNN" in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Biden indicated that it will be difficult for China to obtain the title of world leader as long as it continues in activity that conflicts with basic human rights, he said.
The US President warned that China's violation of these rights will have repercussions, but he did not specify them.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has come under global criticism for his detention of the Uighur minority in concentration camps, in addition to other human rights violations.
Biden said after urging him on the issue during the meeting, "Well, there will be repercussions for China and he knows that," referring to the Chinese president.
Previous meeting between Biden (left) while he was US Vice President and Xi Jin (Getty Images)
Global role
Biden said the United States would reaffirm its global role in defending human rights, adding that he would work with the international community to urge China to protect those rights.
During a two-hour phone call with the Chinese president this month, Biden stressed that the United States was prioritizing keeping the Indian and Pacific Oceans free and open, a region that represents a major and strategic rivalry between the United States and China.
Biden also expressed concern about Beijing's "coercive and unfair" trade practices, and about human rights issues such as its Hong Kong campaign, Xinjiang detentions and other measures in Asia, including Taiwan, which China says is part of its territory.
The two countries are in dispute over several issues, such as technology, human rights and Chinese military activities in the disputed South China Sea, with the two countries trading accusations of deliberately pursuing provocative behavior.