January 28, 2021

Why Biden won’t reset on China

In the run-up to the US presidential election, many observers either hoped for or feared a reset of relations with China. Ties with Beijing were remarkably tense during the Trump administration, and the Biden team spoke about possible co-operation with Beijing on climate change, pandemics and more.

Should the world, already tossed to and fro by four years of foreign policy unpredictability, now steel itself for another lurching change of direction on China?

The Biden administration is not just breaking with Trump, but with all the Republican and Democrat administrations that came before.

It is still very early days for the Biden administration, and its approach to America’s greatest strategic challenge will take months to flesh out. But early signals suggest a policy that is firmer than many anticipated, focused on promoting universal values alongside US interests, and rooted in strong relationships with allies and partners. No reset is in the offing.

Read the full article from The Australian Financial Review.

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