WASHINGTON, April 28 (Sputnik) - The US President, Joe Biden, said in his address to Congress on Wednesday that he told his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that the US will stand up to the competition in the region, although it is not seeking conflict.

The United States will maintain a robust military presence in the Indo-Pacific region just as with NATO in Europe, according to the president.

"I also told President Xi that we will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific just as we do with NATO in Europe - not to start conflict - but to prevent conflict," Biden said on Wednesday.

According to him, the US will oppose unfair trade, which affects the interests of American workers and companies, and will also fight to ensure that other countries, including China, play by the same rules in the global economy as the United States.

Biden also expressed his belief that the US is in a state of competition with China and several other countries for leadership in the 21st century.

"America is moving forward, but we can't stop now. We're in competition with China and other countries to win the 21st century. We're at a great inflection point in history," the president noted.

Biden addressed both houses of Congress for the first time as US president.

The White House earlier announced that Biden and Xi spoke on the phone on February 10 and discussed the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, human rights, trade, and Indo-Pacific stability.