“We talked about China and the competition they're engaging in the Belt and Road Initiative. And I suggested we should have, essentially, a similar initiative coming from the democratic states, helping those communities around the world that, in fact, need help,” Biden told reporters about his Friday’s conversation with Johnson.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a global strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to expand the country’s economic and political influence through financing multiple infrastructure and development projects in nearly 70 countries and international organizations.

Biden said that he and Johnson also discussed climate change, bilateral cooperation and NATO engagements.