 U.S. to act if China threatens its sovereignty Washington will act to defend the United States if China takes measures that threaten the U.S. sovereignty. U.S. President Joe Biden said in his annual State of the Union address to the U.S. Congress make no mistake as we made clear last week if China threatens our sovereignty we will act to protect our country and we did he was quoted as saying in the transcript of the speech released by the White House Biden went on to say that his country makes it clear to China that it is seeking competition not conflict before I came to office the story was about how the people's Republic of China was increasing its power and America was falling in the world not anymore I've made clear with President Xi that we seek competition not conflict he said let's be clear winning the competition with China should unite all of us we face serious challenges across the world Biden added however the U.S. President said he was committed to work with China where it can advance American interests and benefit the world today we're in the strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else in the world Biden said I will make no apologies that we are investing to make America strong investing in American innovation in industries that will define the future and that China's government is intent on dominating U.S. Defense Department Press Secretary Patrick Ryder said on February the 2nd that U.S. authorities had detected and were tracking a high altitude reconnaissance balloon over the continental United States it was shut down on February the 4th by the U.S. military off the coast of South Carolina within U.S. airspace U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken postponed his visit to China over the incident