"Senator Tom Cotton criticizes US-China relationship as Biden administration faces backlash"

Senator Tom Cotton criticized the Biden administration officials for their efforts to meet with Chinese officials, comparing them to "lovestruck teenagers." He believes that such efforts "project weakness to China" and encourage them to engage in provocative actions such as buzzing American aircraft and sending spy balloons across the country. The comments come after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attended a conference in Singapore, where he shook hands with his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, after China rejected a U.S. request for a meeting.