Page 8 - Diplomatists Nov

Dr. Asif Iqbal
President, IETO
F O R E W O R D

Can India retrieve relations with the US, China and than change, the US Policy towards India where a strategic
others? partnership is taking shape with the Quadrilateral Dialogue
New Delhi awaits President Joe Biden Administration Grouping-India, the US, Australia and Japan featuring all
while Mexico waits to see if the border walls will be four powers and who displayed unity in the fi rst joint naval
permanent. Pyongyang is silent while Beijing wonders if exercises in November.
the pace of anti-Chinese trade will remain. While the approach towards Asia will be as good as the

It will be a great moment if “CHINA VIRUS” and “Kung last administration, some humility and confidence will be

flu” - metaphors that were deployed by the US President to bundled with the Biden regime and one must accept that
the excitement of the crowds at his election rallies, public the US still has a greater capacity and bandwidth than any
rhetoric and strong soft diplomacy could be back in action. other country to mobilise others in collective global action.
Many countries are hoping that conventional diplomatic This will be a test for Biden with the world currently

interactions will be the flavour once again, in areas where the seeing an erosion of trust in US foreign policy in general
new president of US would like to work with China in spite and in Asia some hesitation over hard positions on human
of the Covid narrative originating from Wuhan. rights issues. On one side, he should deal with the deadly
Mr. Biden has made it clear that while there may be pandemic and fractured political condition with diff erences
no senior-level visits to China will not be used to provoke within the Democratic party itself. However, the foreign
China, but the capitalist interest of selling arms to Taiwan policy of “America First” will be over as America will take
will remain. up the mantle of global leadership again.
Though the whole atmosphere will be cooled, excitement China has been at its lowest ebb with the US relations
coming out for signs of a relationship reversal in the US since 1979 and it’s not expecting 180 degrees overnight
approach may be deeply disappointed. Though the new but they hope that Biden will be respectful and reasonable
president will do his best to refine and decrease the intensity compared to Trump.

of its approach, the narrative of the US against China will They must focus on trade that is the lowest hanging
continue with the new administration pressurizing China fruit, China can start importing more farm products and
against human rights issues. will expect Biden to scrap tariffs imposed by Trump. China

President Biden has also hinted that China should be did for the RCEP the world’s largest trade bloc and US was
playing by the rules and its very simple approach and that’s conspicuously absent in the virtual summit in Hanoi.
one of the reasons Biden administration is rejoining the But, Mr. Biden will have a lot on his plate after assuming
WHO (World Health Organization) and hopefully the Paris the presidency in January and start with grappling with
Climate accord. Covid19, healing the wounds of a racially divided America
He also hinted clearly that it’s not just dealing with the and has to start worrying about economic recovery.
current pandemic but there will be many more in the pipeline Unless there is some basis for cooperative action between
for which the world needs to be prepared. Biden is clear China and the US, the world will slide into a catastrophe
that he should promote American interests by looking at comparable to World War 1.
opportunities to cooperate with Beijing, subject to conditions We can only hope that better relations prevail under Mr
of fairness and reciprocal arrangements. Mr. Biden’s team Biden and China-India both need US equally and now the
will mark a shift in tone and there will be more continuity ball is in Mr. Biden’s court.

8 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 8 • Issue 9 • November 2020, Noida