Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden believes Russia is “an opponent,” while calling China a “competitor” during CNN’s town hall on Thursday night.

“I believe Russia is an opponent. I really do,” the former vice president said. “And look, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s overwhelming objective is to break up NATO, to fundamentally alter the circumstance in Europe so he doesn’t have to face an entire NATO contingent.”

But he refused to give China the same label, instead referring to it as a “serious competitor,” while pledging to improve trade policy with the Chinese Communist Party.

“That’s why I think we have to strengthen our relationship and our alliances in Asia,” he said.

On the campaign trail last year, Biden caught flak for dismissing China as a threat to the US, saying the country was “not competition for us.”

He walked back those statements a month later.