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Opinion | Biden will look to reset US-China relations, but he won’t back off or revert to the pre-Trump status quo
- While US policy towards China will be less confrontational and the trade war may be dialled down, Biden will keep up the pressure on scrutiny of Chinese investments in the US, market access for American firms in China, human rights and Hong Kong
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Joe Biden’s election as president of the United States portends major changes in American foreign policy. Some directions are already clear.
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You will not hear the term “America first” again. Of course, every nation attends to its own interests first, but under US President Donald Trump that meant going it alone. Working with partners was not a priority, and relationships were transactional.
Multilateral agreements and organisations were seen as having little value, as the United States pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, withdrew from the Paris climate accord and the World Health Organization, exited the nuclear agreement with Iran, undercut the World Trade Organization, and cooled to Nato.
Look for that to change. A Biden administration will be less unilateral, more collaborative, and will invest more in global relationships. Look for the US to rejoin the Paris Agreement and the WHO, and to remove the Trump administration’s block on appellate appointments at the WTO.
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World reactions mixed after Joe Biden’s 2020 US presidential election victory
World reactions mixed after Joe Biden’s 2020 US presidential election victory
While pursuing reforms at international organisations where needed, a Biden administration will emphasise engagement and reform over abandonment. Support for US manufacturing will remain a priority, including “buy America” policies to encourage the purchase of US-made products.
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