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Global ImpactJoe Biden forging ahead with efforts to counter China as Donald Trump, election loom large
- In this week’s issue, we take a look at the latest efforts by the Biden administration to build alliances to counter China
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We’re little more than four months away from the US election, and with two wars raging and geopolitical alliances shifting, the mental acuity of the two main White House contenders has become a subject worthy of global attention.
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While some point to US President Joe Biden’s gaffes, moments of confusion and persistent inconsistencies over Washington’s position with respect to the defence of Taiwan as evidence of mental decline, he has still forged ahead with efforts to strengthen partnerships and establish new ones.
Meanwhile, the possibility of a second Donald Trump administration has many US allies and partners mulling independent policies to be prepared for possible abrupt shifts in positions on the South China Sea, the Korean peninsula and Ukraine from the Oval Office, according to some analysts.
Washington’s stronger ties with India were on full display this month, when US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell went to New Delhi.
The visit underscored a deepening of bilateral ties that would not have been possible without the many strains in New Delhi’s relations with Beijing in recent years, and was followed by another visit to the country by US lawmakers that drew the Chinese government’s ire.
A bipartisan delegation, including Representative Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, and Representative Michael McCaul, the Texas Republican who is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, arrived in Dharamsala to meet with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
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That trip prompted Beijing to warn of “resolute measures” if Washington fails to honour its commitment to recognise Tibet as part of China. That threat that may turn into action in response to a US bill seeking to counter Beijing’s narrative on Tibet, which will head to Biden’s desk for ratification.
There is little domestic political risk for Biden in signing the legislation, given the results of a recent Pew Research Centre survey showing that roughly four-fifths of Americans have an unfavourable view of China and an increasing number see the country as an enemy.
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