Relations between the United States and Russia and China under President Biden
Joe BidenRussia, China escalates tensions with White House New challenges emerge for Biden after strong start Feinstein opens by supporting support for filibuster reform start difficult and hostile.
Biden agreed this week with an interviewer’s assessment that the Russian president Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin Tensions in Russia, China increase with White House Biden against Putin: Round 1 Erdogan calls Biden’s comments on Putin MORE ‘unacceptable’ was a ‘killer’ and said he would pay for interference in US elections. Putin responded by wishing Biden “good health,” a response that reminds one of the poisoning of dissidents in the Kremlin.
A day later, US and Chinese officials exchanged sharp words at their first meeting since Biden was inaugurated, and Beijing indicated that the US should be more concerned about democracy within its borders than outside them.
The Biden government hopes to counter Russia and China by strengthening US alliances and working with partners to put pressure on both countries to change their behavior.
The antagonistic signals from Moscow and Beijing show the Biden government that the two countries are prepared to confront the United States as well.
Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for New American Security, said the tough conversation is not a surprise, given the strength that Moscow and Beijing believe they had during the Trump years.
“It’s especially a continuation of many of the trends we’ve seen in recent years, especially after four years of the Trump administration, which has created a very permissible environment for authoritarians to assert themselves.”
Despite the antagonism, Biden’s government hopes to work with both countries in areas of shared agreement, such as confronting climate change and restoring the nuclear deal in Iran, to which China and Russia are signatories.
But the president also called on allies to strongly denounce human rights violations in both countries and coordinate costs through sanctions.
Critics of the Trump administration view Biden’s approach as fresh air, given Trump’s friendly actions toward Putin and his substantiation of official assessments of Moscow’s aggressive behavior.
The Biden government has expanded sanctions against Russia over the poisoning and imprisonment of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny.
The exhaustion of the Chinese led to some solidarity among Republican lawmakers, who wanted to attack Biden because he was too soft on China.
“I have many policy differences with the Biden administration, but every American must stand together against Beijing’s tyrants. secretary [Antony] Blinken and National Security Adviser Sullivan rightly said, “It’s never good to bet against America ‘and must continue to expose President Xi’s deceptive lies,’ Sen. Ben Sasse
Ben SasseRussia, China escalates tensions with White House ‘For the People Act’ proclaims democracy but uses democratic choices. Is non-partisan efficiency possible? MORE (R-Neb.), A member of the Senate’s Select Committee on Intelligence, said in a statement Friday.
The Biden administration has said it intends to approach Beijing from a strong position, using the recently successful coronavirus aid package as an example of economic resilience and talks with allies and partners as proof of agreement and understanding of international rules and norms.
Deputy Press Secretary of the White House Karine Jean-Pierre
Karine Jean-PierreRusland, China escalates tensions with White House Biden and Harris discusses voting rights with Stacey Abrams in Atlanta Trump Jr. shares processed video showing father biden throwing down with golf ball MORE suggested to reporters aboard Air Force One that the rhetoric of Chinese officials was directed at a local audience, acknowledging that officials went to the meeting knowing that the talks would be ‘tough’.
Chinese officials denounced U.S. efforts to bring allies together, with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi saying at the Alaska summit: “I do not think the overwhelming majority of countries in the world will recognize that the universal values that the United States advocates. … Can represent international public opinion. ”
Blinken replies: “I have to tell you, what I hear is very different from what you described.”
The secretary arrived in Alaska after his first personal meetings with allies in Japan and South Korea, after Biden’s virtual meeting with leaders from India, Australia and Japan, who called the Quad informally and who were all concerned about Beijing.
“The Chinese were apparently in the defense after last week’s hugely successful very first Quad summit and the visits by the US Secretary of State and Defense to Japan and South Korea earlier this week,” said Lisa Curtis, who as national served security, said. Council Director for South and Central Asia under Trump.
“Given the many challenges that China poses to the interests of the United States – human rights in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong; aggressive military behavior throughout the Indo-Pacific; and economic coercion of American allies – it may be a good thing that the two parties got rid of the diplomatic goods and got directly to the heart of their differences, ‘said Curtis, a senior fellow at the Center for New American Security, added.
Anthony Ruggiero, former senior director of the National Security Council and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said he viewed the more aggressive rhetoric of Moscow and Beijing as an early test for the government in Biden.
“It could be an attempt by both of them to take action against this government to see if they are prepared to push back, either through sanctions or other possible responses,” he said.
Ruggier added: “I think the remarks made yesterday at the Alaska meetings really show that the Chinese – publicly showing what they are doing privately, who are trying to bully people and, appropriately, have pushed back the Biden government.”
Blinken is on his way to Brussels on Monday for meetings with senior officials in NATO, the European Union and Belgian leaders, with Russia and China expected to be on the agenda.
“We expect – even as you have seen in recent days – that our relationship with Russia will remain a challenge,” Philip Reeker, acting assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, said in a briefing with reporters on Friday. “It is clear that NATO is very much aware of this. And this is one that I think we’re prepared for. ”
Russia and China have increasingly aligned their interests on the world stage, said Kendall-Taylor, of the Center for New American Security, and wants to push back on what they see as a weakening US.
‘Their ultimate goals have been aligned and they still are. “They both want to push back on the US, move the international order away from something less dominated by the US,” she said.
“In their actions, Russia is more disruptive, China prefers less confrontation, but they both work towards the same goals.”