Former vice president of the United States, Mike Pence, has lashed out at China, saying it's on its way to becoming an "evil empire”.

Pence: Chinese Communist Party presents a great threat to the U.S.

Speaking on July 15 at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, Pence warned about the threat that China presents to the U.S., saying, "China may not yet be an evil empire, but it's working hard every day to become one."

Pence further said that in many ways, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) presents "a greater threat" to the U.S. than the Soviet Union "ever did throughout the Cold War".

Claims Biden is weak on China

During his speech, Pence also criticised the Biden administration for being soft on China, while credited the Trump administration with moving the "national consensus" to view China as an economic and security rival.

He demanded the current administration to take further steps against the country, such as to pressure Beijing to "come clean about the origins of the coronavirus".

Previously on May 26, Biden has called for a probe into the origins of Covid-19. However, he has refrained from exerting real pressure on China to get to the bottom of its origins, perhaps to avoid a drastic deterioration of bilateral relations.

Called for aggressive US position on China

The prospective 2024 Republican presidential candidate also urged the Biden administration to take a series of strong-handed actions against China to protect American interests, so as to prevent the U.S. from ceding further ground to China in areas of competition, such as advanced technology.

“America cannot afford to stand still in writing our relationship with China, and it is incumbent on the Biden administration to keep up the pressure, pick up the pace and lead America forward," he said.

Pence also sees a need for the U.S. to decouple from China in industries that are essential to national security or with strategic value, and called for the delisting of some 240 Chinese companies that don't meet U.S. accounting standards.

In favour of strengthening relations with Taiwan, the former vice president also urged Biden to pursue a trade agreement with Taiwan, saying "engaging with Taiwan encourages other free nations to do likewise", which will help promote "stability and peace throughout the region".

Top image via The Heritage Foundation