Opinion | Biden Talks Big and that's Good for China
By Augustus K. Yeung
"The US and China are engaged in a race to 'win the economic competition of the 21st century,'" President Joe Biden, State of the Union Address.
Introduction
President Joe Biden's State of the Union Speech spells out his grand vision and the general direction of his administration: Uniting Americans, building America, and punishing Putin. Given these three major stated goals, Biden's strategy gives China a break--until he wins the impending mid-term election, especially the presidential election for his second term in 2024.
Uniting Americans was a campaign pledge he has yet to fulfill amid his sagging public opinion ratings. The grandiose goal is to engage in multi-billion-dollar infrastructure building. It is a realistic mindset following the track of modern China whose achievements in this respect shame the Americans. The third focus is economically strangling Russia for making the hostile move on Ukraine.
For China, the prospect looks optimistic as Biden makes it known that he intends to engage China "in a race to win the economic competition of the 21st century."
"Democracies are Rising to the Moment"
"The swift and sweeping international response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine is proof that liberal democracies are able to deliver over autocracies, US President Joe Biden said in his first State of the Union address," Owen Churchill reports for the Post. ("Democracies 'rising to the occasion". Thursday, March 3, 2022)
Russian President Vladimir Putin's attack against Ukraine – now entering a week – had been met by a "more unified Europe [and] a more unified West", he said, highlighting the blitz of economic sanctions unleashed on Moscow.
"In the battle between democracy and autocracies, democracies are rising to the moment, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security."
Biden used the occasion on Tuesday to announce that the US would follow the European Union and other countries in banning Russian airlines from flying through US airspace.
"Putin is now isolated from the world more than he has ever been," he said.
US and China in a Race to "Win the Economic Competition of the 21st Century"
Delivered before lawmakers assembled in the House chamber, Biden's one–hour speech contained just a handful of mentions for China. And that's good.
But the rising power, which his administration considers a major threat to US interest, was an unmistakable subtext to many of his comments about efforts to counter aggression by illiberal countries.
"Throughout our history, we've learned this lesson: when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos," Biden said. "They keep moving. And the costs and threats to…America and to the world keep rising."
Biden spoke as a delegation of former high-level military and security officials taking part in meetings with Taiwanese officials in Taipei, as a show of the administration's "rock-solid" support for the self-governed island in the face of rising pressure from Beijing.
Biden said the US and China were engaged in a race to "win the economic competition of the 21st century", and vowed that the US was embarking on an "infrastructure decade", announcing a new effort this year to fix more than 65,000miles of highway and 1,500 bridges in disrepair.
"I've told [President] Xi Jinping it's never been a good bet to bet against the American people," he said.
And in language closely echoing that of his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, Biden said US success in competing for the "jobs of the future" would depend on securing a "level playing field with China and other competitors".
Biden Urged Congress to Advance China-focused Legislation…
To that end, he urged Congress to advance China-focused legislation awaiting reconciliation that would increase US investments in emerging technologies such as semiconductors.
"Let's not wait any longer," he implored the assembled lawmakers. "Send it to my desk. I'll sign it. And we will really take off in a big way."
Biden made the case for US competitiveness on the world stage as his performance disappoints an increasing number of voters at home, frustrated with sharply rising inflation and ongoing fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
Heading into Tuesday's speech, 53.5 percent of Americans polled disapproved of Biden's performance with 41.1 percent in favor, giving a minus-12.4 point net approval rating, according to FiveThirtyEight.
At the beginning of his term, he enjoyed a plus-17 net approval rating, with the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August proving to be a critical turning point.
"I get it," Biden said of the pain Americans were feeling amid rising costs. "That's why my top priority is getting prices under control."
Ukrainian Crisis Had Added Another Stress Point…
Present in the US House chamber was the Ukrainian ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova, who sat with first lady Jill Biden as one of the White House invited guests. At multiple points throughout the evening, Biden's remarks on the Ukraine crisis elicited standing ovations from lawmakers…
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has added another stress point to already strained relations between Washington and Beijing, with the Biden administration urging the Chinese government to denounce the attack and use its fluence with Moscow to bring about a de-escalation," Owen Churchill reports for the Post. ("Democracies 'rising to the occasion.'" South China Morning Post. Thursday, March 3, 2022)
Conclusion
Biden's speech shows that his administration will be obsessed with domestic problems: livelihood issues; bipartisan unity; and infrastructural building. Down to earth!
Apparently, Biden's foreign policy is being pragmatic; he wants to focus on censoring Russia, following the EU's policy of isolating Russia and bringing it economic and financial pain.
As for China, he indicates that the US would engage China head-on. In his sales pitch, he urges Congress to join him to win the competition war of the 21st century. Thinking seriously, China can sigh a breath of relief, but expect to compete fiercely with the US in "economic competition".
The author is a freelance writer; formerly Adjunct Lecturer, taught MBA Philosophy of Management, and International Strategy, and online columnist of 3-D Corner (HKU SPACE), University of Hong Kong.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
Read more articles by Augustus K. Yeung:
Opinion | America should have stepped back and let Europe take care of itself
Opinion | Ukrainian President—a former comedian—is now staging a world-class Shakespearean tragedy
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