Joe Biden touts policies for US middle class, says Chinese economic dominance not assured

Outgoing American leader’s speech at Democratic National Convention aligns closely with campaign message of Vice-President Kamala Harris

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Democratic presidential nominee Vice-President Kamala Harris clasps hands with US President Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention on Monday in Chicago. Photo: AP

Published: 2:40pm, 20 Aug 2024Updated: 11:19pm, 20 Aug 2024

US President Joe Biden touted his economic and foreign policies on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday in a speech that symbolised the passing of his authority to Vice-President Kamala Harris and sought to draw a sharp contrast with her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.

Focusing on a need to create greater opportunities for the American middle class through policies that support unionised manufacturing jobs and spur growth “from the bottom up and the middle out”, Biden’s message in Chicago aligned closely with themes that Harris previewed last week in her economic agenda.

In the only mention of China in a speech that ran nearly 50 minutes, Biden cited doubt over the inevitability of the country surpassing the US economically as proof of the efficacy of his economic policies.

“When I came to office, the conventional wisdom was that China would inevitably surpass the United States,” he said. “No one’s saying that now.”

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The Biden administration has championed legislation to address the loss of American manufacturing jobs shed over decades, an erosion that came to a head in the 2016 US election and helped propel Trump to victory.