Editorial | Biden must focus on cooperation rather than confrontation
- US president marks 100 days in office with a list of achievements but also the same hawkish attitude towards China that mirrors that of his predecessor, Donald Trump
There was an assumption that the Covid-19 crisis would consume much of the first year of his term, but a targeted 100 million vaccinations was attained at breakneck speed and a financial stimulus package considered critical to the United States’ recovery approved by lawmakers.
His administration has been able to quickly turn its attention to foreign policy, rejoining international organisations and agreements that were withdrawn from and rekindling neglected alliances, while continuing an approach towards China that has no clear end goal other than outdoing it as a competitor.
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China ‘closing in fast’, says US President Joe Biden in first address to Congress
Trump’s poor coronavirus response, the stalled economy, political and racial divisions and the storming of Congress less than two weeks before Biden took office were major challenges. Policies to restore order have been speedily put in place.
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World leaders pledge to cut greenhouse emissions at virtual Earth Day summit
His experienced foreign policy team headed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken will help steer policies with a new emphasis on climate change, human rights and using trade to create jobs at home, a marked shift from the unpredictability of Trump’s leadership. But the approach to China remains largely as before, the most noticeable difference being tone and rhetoric.