Joe Biden is right to cut Asia trip short for US debt-ceiling talks: national security adviser
- Jake Sullivan describes American president’s G7 attendance as ‘critical’ and notes plan to put visit with Australian prime minister ‘back on the books’
- Biden slated to meet Indian leader on Hiroshima sidelines and possibly hold trilateral there with Japan and South Korea, he adds
“The president spoke with Prime Minister Albanese yesterday and agreed that we would get the visit to Australia back on the books … but also that he would host him in Washington for a state visit,” he added.
Biden has been under fire in recent days from various directions, both for leaving Washington amid his stand-off with Republicans demanding spending cuts in exchange for an increase in the country’s debt limit and for cutting short a diplomatic sweep through the Asia-Pacific that was meant to counter Beijing’s influence there.
Regardless of the rising stakes tied to the debt talks, Sullivan said Biden’s attendance at the G7 was “critical … because this particular format is so central to getting alignment and convergence with key countries”.
Biden’s shorter Asia trip casts ‘cloud’ over US strategy in region
“So if we can find time in what is a very packed schedule, we will try to hold a trilateral.”