News - World: China has accused the United States of hypocrisy in response to accusations by American President Joe Biden that Beijing is "xenophobic" and "cheating" on trade.

In a speech on Wednesday to union members, Biden called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing the country of cheating during an election campaign in the northeastern state of Pennsylvania.

"I would like to ask him: are you talking about China or the US itself?" Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded on Thursday when asked about the comments.

"They're not competing, they're cheating. They're cheating and we've seen the damage here in America," the 81-year-old Biden said to cheers at the headquarters of the United Steelworkers union in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

"They're xenophobic..they've got real problems," he added.

Biden also claimed that Chinese steel companies are heavily subsidized by the government and hence “don’t need to worry about making a profit.”

Biden said he had called for the US trade representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was confirmed to be using anti-competitive practices.

Earlier this week the United States announced a probe into China’s trade practices in the shipbuilding, maritime, and logistics sectors alleging that Beijing used “unfair, non-market policies and practices” to dominate these sectors.

China has “firmly opposed” the probe, calling the move a “mistake on top of a mistake.”

Beijing and Washington have clashed in recent years on flash point issues ranging from technology, trade, and human rights to Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Source: Press TV