Confrontation with China needs to be approached with strength, not weakness: US secy of state nominee Blinken

China poses the most significant challenge "of any nation-state to the United States", said Anthony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of State, adding that the means of confronting Beijing are "fully within our control".

At his nomination confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, Blinken said both confrontation and competition with China need to be approached from "a position of strength, not a position of weakness."

Although Blinken acknowledged US President Donald Trump was "right in taking a tougher approach to China," he stressed that he "very much" disagreed with the manner in which the President went about the matter.

Targetting the Trump administration indirectly, he said that strength comes from closer coordination with allies, as well as engaging and "leading in international institutions ... when we stand up for our values."

The relations between China and the US remained very tense over the last four years under Trump administration.

Blinken, in his Senate confirmation hearing, said he agrees with outgoing US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo's statement that China's actions against the Uyghurs constitute genocide.

( With inputs from ANI )