Biden campaign vs. Biden administration: on Foreign Policy
Antony Blinken:
With Japan on checking North Korea & China aggression
I think one of the things that the United States and Japan both see is that China is acting both more aggressively at home and more aggressively abroad. It's important for us to make clear that China cannot expect us to allow it to act with impunity.
We have a real stake in this because this is about making sure that we maintain a peaceful stable environment. It is about making sure that things that really matter to us, like freedom of navigation, freedom of commerce, is sustained.
We've actually had trilateral conversations with Japan and South Korea about North Korea, and we have a strong shared common interest in dealing with the challenge posed by North Korea's nuclear programs, missile programs, and human rights abuses.
I think all three countries found benefit in that. So at the end of the day, I think that we each will find that it's in our respective interests to pursue that [trilateral] cooperation, and I'm confident we'll be able to do that.
Source: Japan Forward interview: on 2021 Biden Administration
Apr 1, 2021
Antony Blinken:
No special treatment for Hong Kong due to China's actions
Hong Kong does not warrant preferential treatment under US law owing to the erosion of its autonomy at the hands of Beijing, the Biden administration said, upholding a Trump-era determination made last year. "Over the past year, the People's Republic of
China has continued to dismantle Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, in violation of its obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and Hong Kong's Basic Law," Blinken said.
Source: South China Morning Post on 2021 Biden Administration
Apr 1, 2021
Lloyd Austin:
Prioritize China as number one pacing challenge
The Department will prioritize China as our number one pacing challenge and develop the right operational concepts, capabilities, and plans to bolster deterrence and maintain our competitive advantage. We will ensure that our approach toward China is
coordinated and synchronized to advance our priorities, integrated into domestic and foreign policy in a whole-of-government strategy, strengthened by our alliances and partnerships, and supported on a bipartisan basis in Congress.
Source: USNI News on 2021 Biden Administration
Mar 4, 2021
Lloyd Austin:
Allies and partners are one of our greatest strategic assets
Our allies and partners are a force multiplier and one of the greatest strategic assets we have in protecting our Nation. As we face complex challenges that span across borders, our success will depend on how closely we work with our friends around the
world to secure our common interests and promote our shared values. We cannot meet our responsibilities alone, nor should we try. Rather, we will consult with our allies and partners and, when appropriate, we will act together.
Source: USNI News on 2021 Biden Administration
Mar 4, 2021
Antony Blinken:
Shoring up our democracy is a foreign policy imperative
Shoring up our democracy is a foreign policy imperative. Strong democracies are more stable, more open, better partners to us, more committed to human rights, less prone to conflict, and more dependable markets for our goods and services.
When democracies are weak, governments can't deliver for their people or a country becomes so polarized that it's hard for anything to get done. And they become less reliable partners to the United States. None of that is in our national interest.
Source: State Department speech: 2021 Biden Administration
Mar 3, 2021
Antony Blinken:
Working will allies & partners is enlightened self-interest
We will revitalize our ties with our allies and partners. Over the decades, these commitments have created new markets for our products, new allies to deter aggression, and new partners to help meet global challenges. We had a name for it: "enlightened
self-interest." We'll be clear that real partnership means carrying burdens together, everyone doing their part--not just us. Wherever the rules for international security and the global economy are being written, America will be there.
Source: State Department speech: 2021 Biden Administration
Mar 3, 2021
Antony Blinken:
We must engage China from a position of strength
We will manage the biggest geopolitical test of the 21st century: our relationship with China.China is the only country with the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to seriously challenge the stable and open international system.
Our relationship with China will be competitive when it should be, collaborative when it can be, and adversarial when it must be. The common denominator is the need to engage China from a position of strength.
Source: State Department speech: 2021 Biden Administration
Mar 3, 2021
Page last updated: Jan 17, 2022