Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to be secretary of state, said Tuesday he agreed with the tougher US stance on China under Donald Trump that the outgoing leader hailed in his farewell remarks.

In confirmation hearings, Biden's nominees vowed to keep up pressure on China on trade and human rights, despite previous calls to see areas of cooperation.

"I also believe that President Trump was right in taking a tougher approach to China," Blinken told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"I disagree very much with the way he went about it in a number of areas, but the basic principle was the right one."

His hearing came hours after the outgoing secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, declared formally that China was carrying out genocide against the Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking people.

Trump hailed his stance on China in excerpts of a farewell address he said would be broadcast shortly.

"We revitalized our alliances and rallied the nations of the world to stand up to China like never before," Trump said.

Many would dispute that Trump revitalized alliances, with European leaders outraged by his often personal confrontations and the reputation of the US president falling to new lows in friendly countries.

Trump, however, forged close ties with Israel and Gulf Arab powers.

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Turbulent Trump diplomacy ends with scrapped Europe, Taiwan trips
Washington (AFP) Jan 13, 2021
The United States called off last-minute trips by top envoys to its allies in Europe and Taiwan on Tuesday in a sudden diplomatic volte-face during the chaotic swansong days of the Trump administration. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had been due to make a final official visit to Europe while Kelly Clark, Washington's UN envoy, was set to land in Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon. But the visits were suddenly scrapped a week before Democrat Joe Biden takes office and as President Donald Trump faces ... read more