WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - US President Joe Biden has accused China of unfair economic practices, justifying his announcement of higher US tariffs on electric cars and other Chinese goods. "China has heavily subsidized all these products and made Chinese companies produce far more than the rest of the world can absorb," Biden said during a speech in the White House garden on Tuesday. The surplus products would then be thrown onto the market at unfairly low prices, driving other manufacturers around the world out of business. "That's not competition, that's cheating," said Biden.

Biden emphasized that he wanted fair competition with China, not conflict. "And we are in a better position to win this economic competition in the 21st century against China than anyone else," he said. "Because we are reinvesting in America and American workers. And because we are now standing up to the unfair economic practices of the Chinese government."

Biden is blocking electric cars from China from entering the US with special tariffs of 100 percent. The US government is also imposing new or sharply increased tariffs on solar cells, semiconductors, port cranes and medical products such as cannulas and protective masks, among other things. China accuses Biden of an election campaign maneuver and threatens consequences. "The US should immediately correct its wrong practices and cancel the additional tariffs imposed on China," said a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce./tro/DP/men