Opinion | How Joe Biden has made a common enemy of China to rally domestic and foreign allies

Name: Philippines sounds alarm over 200 Chinese ships in the South China Sea
Uploaded: 2021-04-26T17:30:13.000Z
Duration: 2 min 37 s
Description: Philippines sounds alarm over 200 Chinese ships in the South China Sea

After his predecessor’s controversial turn away from allies and divisive domestic policies, the Biden administration is in search of common concerns

With its open assertiveness around the globe and genuine capability to challenge the US, China is the most obvious option

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Danil Bochkov

Published: 1:30am, 27 Apr 2021Updated: 4:10am, 27 Apr 2021

US President Joe Biden’s foreign policy priorities have taken a new turn recently, with Washington’s reassurances to Taiwan of its commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act concerning the island’s ability to defend itself.

Beijing, meanwhile, has upped the ante in regional security by unveiling plans to increase defence spending by 7 per cent in 2021. In January, China adopted more aggressive coastguard regulations and has increased its military presence in the South China Sea. It also warned Japan against joining Washington in applying sanctions against China.

Biden has been busy promoting a march of democracies against China by reinvigorating the Quad security grouping, sending his top officials on a tour of Japan, South Korea and India that culminated with Nato and EU summits. To highlight China as a top priority for his administration’s foreign policy planning, Biden has created a China-dedicated task force within the Department of Defence and devoted the largest part of his national security team to the Indo-Pacific directorate.

The USS Nimitz carrier strike group was relocated from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific in February. Soon after, the United States hosted Japan and Australia for joint combat exercises in Guam to counter its perceived increased vulnerability to attack by Russia and China. Biden also proposed a 1.7 per cent increase in the 2022 defence budget with an eye on Beijing and Moscow.

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Philippines sounds alarm over 200 Chinese ships in the South China Sea

In a stark divergence from his predecessor Donald Trump, Biden has moved to deliver on his pledge to prevent China from becoming “the leading country in the world” by reinvigorating partnerships. The US and Japan are teaming up against China’s “coercion and aggression” in Asia with a shared perception of Beijing as a threat.

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