President Biden faced criticism from Republicans after making conciliatory comments about China's spy balloon incursion over sensitive American military sites earlier this year. Biden suggested that Chinese leadership did not know about the balloon, calling it more embarrassing than intentional. Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis pledged to send Biden "back to his basement" and slammed his policies on energy, spending, and the border. On a visit to Philadelphia, Biden also addressed the recent collapse of an overpass and praised the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. US-China relations have grown increasingly tense during Biden's presidency, with China building a spy base in Cuba, militarizing reefs in the South China Sea, and threatening to invade Taiwan.
