NEWS//Biden's stance on China
With less than two weeks as president, no one can foretell what President Biden's approach will be to China. But, according to Axios, early evidence suggests that he may continue some of the Trump era's most assertive policies. "When it comes to China, Biden seems unlikely to adopt the open-armed engagement policies of the Obama years. But it's still too early to tell exactly how tough he'll be."
Axios points to the following:
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on January 25: "Strategic competition with China is a defining feature of the 21st century. China is engaged in conduct that hurts American workers, blunts our technological edge, and threatens our alliances and our influence in international organizations."
Psaki also mentioned China's economic abuses, its influence over international organizations, and its forced technology transfers. She suggested that China must be held accountable.
Those sentiments were balanced by references to Biden's strong emphasis on multilateralism. Psaki frequently noted that the president would work in consultation with America's "allies and partners."
Taiwan's de facto Taiwanese ambassador to the U.S., Bi-khim Hsiao, attended Biden's inauguration after receiving a formal invitation. A Taiwanese representative has not attended a presidential inauguration since 1979. This may be a signal that the U.S. will begin to recognize Taiwan as an independent nation.
The new Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, stated during his Senate confirmation, "China presents the most significant threat going forward because China is ascending." He also described the 2018 National Defense Strategy that names China and Russia as serious threats as "absolutely on track for today’s challenges."
Both Austin and Psaki have warned against China's ascendance in technology.
On trade, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told the Wall Street Journal, “The point of further trade negotiation isn’t to make the world safe for multinational corporation investment. It’s about jobs and wages.” Psaki said Biden "will take a multilateral approach to engaging with China, and that includes evaluating the tariffs currently in place."
Source: Axios. Additional sources: Time, CNBC, New York Post