Joe Biden has told European leaders the US wants to “earn back our position of trusted leadership”, using his first international speech as president to renew America’s commitment to the transatlantic alliance after four years of isolationism under Donald Trump.

Addressing the Munich security conference on Friday, Biden urged the US and Europe to “prepare together for long-term strategic competition with China”, arguing the world faced a contest between democracy and autocracy.

“The last four years have been hard, but Europe and the United States have to lead with confidence once more,” he said, adding that together they could own what he described as the race for the future. “I’m sending a clear message to the world: America is back. The transatlantic alliance is back.”