Biden’s shorter Asia trip sparks concerns about US commitment to region, efforts to counter China

US president’s truncated visit is an ‘unwelcome reminder’ that Washington’s pledges to the region are at the mercy of ‘increasingly fickle politics on the US home front’

Biden’s presence at the G7 summit and possible meetings with Quad leaders in Hiroshima could still show their resolve to countering China’s influence, observers say

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US President Joe Biden will be cutting short his coming trip to Asia and will return to Washington earlier than planned to continue debt-ceiling negotiations. Photo: Reuters

Maria Siow,Su-Lin Tanin SingaporeandShi Jiangtaoin Hong Kong

Published: 9:05pm, 17 May 2023

US President Joe Biden’s decision to cancel parts of his scheduled trip to the Asia-Pacific to focus on debt-limit talks at home raises concerns that Washington’s domestic preoccupations will hinder its regional engagement, regardless of who is in power, analysts have said.

Since taking office in 2021, Biden has consistently emphasised to Asian allies and partners that “America is back”, signalling intentions to revitalise economic and strategic ties with the region, counterbalance China and reverse the insular “America First” policy under the Republican Trump administration.

However, the sudden change of plans serves as a sobering reminder that Democrats also have domestic battles to fight.

Announcing the shortened trip on Wednesday, Biden said that as president, he had to respond to critical matters “all at once” and that he was confident of making progress towards “avoiding default and fulfilling America’s responsibility as a leader on the world stage”.

The US president will arrive in Hiroshima on Thursday for a meeting with Group of Seven members, but skip planned visits to Papua New Guinea and a Quad summit in Sydney to attend negotiations with Republican opponents on the debt ceiling.

In interviews with This Week in Asia, foreign policy observers largely agreed that the sudden change of plans raised questions about Washington’s long-term commitment to the region, even as they recognised the importance of the debt-limit talks.

“Even if there is recognition that the Biden administration does want to enhance engagement with Asia, people may wonder about the United States’ willingness and ability to do so,” said Chong Ja Ian, a political-science professor at the National University of Singapore.

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