Pence urges Biden to toughen up on China, calls for a return to Trump policies

Former Republican Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday urged President Joe Biden to toughen up and apply the Trump administration's more aggressive stance against China.

"Our elected leaders must build on the progress of the Trump-Pence administration, and use the economic and military power of the United States to check the ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party in ways that put the American people and American values first," Pence said. "Only a proud, confident and united America can meet the challenge of China."

Pence made the comments while speaking at the conservative Heritage Foundation, according to The Hill. Pence spoke about a series of steps the Biden administration could take to counter China.

The former vice president urged Biden to keep Trump-era policies such as tariffs on Chinese goods. He asked Biden to go further, saying that Biden must boycott2022 Winter Olympics over the Chinese treatment of Uyghur Muslims and Hong Kong citizens. Pence also urged Biden to halt public and private funding of scientific labs in China and said that scientific evidence “strongly suggests the coronavirus leaked out of a Chinese lab."

Pence said the U.S. must put forward a unified front against China in what he called an "emerging cold war."