May 10, 2022

Biden urged to strike better balance between Asia and Europe to counter threats

Source: The Washington Examiner

Journalist: Naomi Lim

Biden's attempts to prioritize U.S.-Asia foreign policy as China poses military threats to Taiwan and in the South China Sea, in addition to undermining U.S. economic dominance, was first derailed last summer by his deadly withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. He then ruffled European feathers with his botched announcement of a new nuclear submarine deal with Australia and the United Kingdom, which scuttled an Australia-France accord and stepped on the rollout of NATO's own Asia plan.

David Feith, a onetime deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs now with the Center for a New American Security and the Vandenberg Coalition, stressed that China's efforts to undercut international rules could have wide-ranging repercussions if the Chinese Communist Party succeeds.

"Some of the follow-through and substance has been slow or lacking," he said of the Biden record. "The Indo-Pacific is the economic and demographic engine of the world."

For Feith, it is crucial that Biden strikes a better balance between Asia and Europe because "we don't get to choose our strategic circumstances." He advised the president to tap more senior personnel with extensive Asia backgrounds for his team.

Read the full story and more from The Washington Examiner.

Author

  • David Feith

    Adjunct Senior Fellow, Indo-Pacific Security Program

    David Feith served as U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Before that, he was an editorial writer for The Wall Street Journal in Hong ...