Joe Biden’s UN pick signals ‘diplomacy is back’, but does this mean a new approach to China?
- President-elect may want cooperation with Beijing on climate change, but observers say he may keep up the pressure on issues such as Hong Kong and human rights
- Linda Thomas-Greenfield, his choice to be US ambassador to the United Nations, has signalled the new administration will take a more multilateral approach
Joe Biden’s choice of Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the United Nations is the latest signal that he will seek to re-engage with international bodies but while this may herald a change of tone towards China, many observers believe the administration will seek to keep up the pressure over issues such as human rights, Xinjiang and Hong Kong.
Thomas-Greenfield, a veteran diplomat, could use the UN as a forum to hold Beijing to account, but the Biden White House is also expected to keep some doors open and work with China in the fight against climate change – one of the president-elect’s main priorities.
Biden and Thomas-Greenfield have already moved to draw a sharp distinction between themselves and the Trump administration, which has been criticised for its “America first” approach and backing away from international institutions and treaties.
“America is back. Multilateralism is back. Diplomacy is back,” Thomas-Greenfield said on Tuesday following her appointment.
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People on the streets of Beijing react to Biden's US presidential election victory over Trump
She also pledged to “break down barriers, connect, and see each other as humans” in a tweet two days later.
