President Joe Biden said on Monday he thinks relations between the United States and China are on the "right trail" and suggested progress was made during a rare trip to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"We're on the right trail here," Biden said of U.S.-China relations. Asked by reporters whether he felt progress had been made, he replied, "It's been made."
Biden also praised Blinken and said "he did a hell of a job."
Congressional Republicans were less enthused by Blinken's trip to China, suggesting the secretary of state undermined efforts to put pressure on China.
"The Biden administration’s weak actions on the global stage continue to embolden the CCP," Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) said.
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R., Wis.) criticized the Biden administration for not demonstrating its willingness to confront China militarily.
"Engagement disconnected from a robust military deterrent? I’m not sure what it will actually achieve," Gallagher said.
China and the United States agreed on Monday to stabilize their intense rivalry so it doesn't veer into conflict but failed to produce any major breakthrough.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in California and Nandita Bose in Washington; editing by Jonathan Oatis)