Biden's national security plan takes aim at China, Russia
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[October 13, 2022]
By Jarrett Renshaw and Michael Martina
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White House
rolled out a long-delayed national security strategy on Wednesday that
seeks to contain China's rise while reemphasizing the importance of
working with allies to tackle challenges confronting democratic nations.
The 48-page document, which was delayed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine,
includes no major shifts in thinking and introduces no major new foreign
policy doctrines. Instead, it highlights the view that U.S. leadership
is the key to overcoming global threats like climate change and the rise
of authoritarianism.
Even after Russia's invasion, China represents the most consequential
challenge to the global order and the United States must win the
economic arms race with the superpower if it hopes to retain its global
influence, the strategy says.
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"The People's Republic of China harbors the intention and, increasingly,
the capacity to reshape the international order in favor of one that
tilts the global playing field to its benefit, even as the United States
remains committed to managing the competition between our countries
responsibly," national security advisor Jake Sullivan said in outlining
the policy.
He said Washington must manage the China relationship while dealing with
transnational challenges including climate change, food insecurity,
communicable diseases, terrorism, the energy transition, and inflation.
China's embassy in Washington did not respond immediately to a request
for comment.
Biden has yet to resolve some key foreign policy debates, including
tariffs on Chinese goods established by his predecessor Donald Trump
that cost U.S. importers billions, and faces new ones brought into high
relief by Russia's actions, including fraying relations with long-time
ally Saudi Arabia and India's reliance on Russian energy.
Sullivan echoed comments by Biden this week that the U.S. is
"reevaluating" its relationship with Saudi Arabia after OPEC+ announced
last week it would cut its oil production target over U.S. objections.
Daniel Russel, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia under former
President Barack Obama, said the strategy was consistent with Biden's
stated priorities of domestic renewal, strengthening alliances and
democratic institutions, and balancing cooperation and competition.
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Flags of China and Russia are displayed
in this illustration picture taken March 24, 2022. REUTERS/Florence
Lo/Illustration/File Photo
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"However, during its 21-month gestation period, the strategy has
clearly shifted to place overwhelming emphasis on competition with
China," he said, noting that while it pledges to avoid looking at
the world solely through the prism of strategic competition,
"competition with China suffuses every chapter."
Russel said the paper pledged to build the broadest coalition of
nations to address global challenges, but it would be difficult to
do this without China and there was no indication how such
cooperation might be secured.
A lone reference in the document to North Korea underscored limited
U.S. options to contain its nuclear and missile programs.
This was striking, Russel said, "not only because it passes so
quickly past a persistent and existential threat, but also because
it frames the strategy as 'seeking sustained diplomacy toward
denuclearization,' when North Korea has so convincingly demonstrated
its utter rejection of negotiations."
The administration was supposed to have sent the strategy to
Congress when it submitted its proposed budget on March 28.
The chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jack Reed,
welcomed of the release and noted that it "recognizes that we must
modernize and strengthen our military."
"This will require smart investments in platforms and equipment,
rapid development and integration of cutting-edge technologies," the
Rhode Island Democrat said, adding that he looked forward to the
Pentagon releasing an unclassified version of the National Defense
Strategy.
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Sullivan said the Ukraine crisis did delay but did not
"fundamentally alter" Biden's foreign policy approach.
However, he added: "I do believe that it presents in living color
the key elements of our approach – the emphasis on allies, the
importance of strengthening the hand of the democratic world,
standing up for fellow democracies and for democratic values."
(Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw, Trevor Hunnicutt, Michael Martina and
David Brunnstrom; Editing by Heather Timmons, Chizu Nomiyama and
David Gregorio)
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