'Lying, dog-faced pony soldiers': 5 highlights from Biden's Vietnam press conference

1. Biden doesn't want to 'contain' or 'isolate' China 

Responding to a question accusing the United States of “containing China while pushing for diplomatic talks,” Biden insisted that the purpose of talks he engaged in with the Vietnam General Secretary were not about “containing China.”

Biden added, “I don’t want to contain China. I just want to make sure we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it’s all about.”

The president described the purpose of the trip as one to “strengthen alliances around the world to maintain stability” by working to make both India and Vietnam “closer with the United States.” Biden reiterated that “it’s not about containing China,” adding, “it’s about having a stable base … in the Indo-Pacific.” 

Recalling how Chinese President Xi Jinping had previously asked him why he was going to meet with the “Quad,” referring to Australia, India, Japan and the U.S., Biden explained that he told the dictator that his goal of doing so was to “maintain stability.” He stated that “it’s not about isolating China, it’s about making sure the rules of the road, everything from air, space and space in the ocean and the international rules of the road are abided by.” 

Biden’s repeated assertions that he does not want to contain China comes amid concerns that the communist nation has future plans to invade Taiwan, an independent state that China views as part of its empire.