Blinken, US Secretary of State, Warns of Tough Stance on China
Identifies Only Country Capable of Challenging the US
"May Take Hostile Actions if Necessary"
Focus on Response Through Alliance Cooperation
No Mention of North Korea Policy
[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] "China is a serious threat to a stable and open international order."
Tony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, emphasized that China is the greatest test in 21st-century geopolitics and indicated that U.S. foreign policy will focus on confronting China.
On the 3rd (local time), Secretary Blinken explained the foreign policy direction set by the Joe Biden administration in a speech at the State Department.
Although the speech aimed to outline the overall direction of U.S. foreign policy, it was essentially a platform for condemning China.
Blinken, who had previously mentioned competing with China, once again stressed intervention through the superiority of power to counter China.
Secretary Blinken identified China as "the only country with the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological capabilities to challenge a stable and open international system."
Blinken also did not forget to mention China's human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region and the suppression of democracy in Hong Kong.
He reminded that the U.S. can compete or cooperate with China if necessary, but can also become hostile if needed.
He further explained why the U.S. must participate in international organizations from which it withdrew during the Donald Trump administration, stating, "Where we have withdrawn, China has filled the gap."
Secretary Blinken also expressed a tough stance against countries that steal U.S. technology and manipulate currency values, which is widely seen as a direct message aimed at China.
The U.S. political media outlet Politico evaluated Blinken’s speech as showing a recognition that U.S. foreign and domestic policies are not different and a determination to actively confront China.
In addition, Blinken cited combating COVID-19, global economic recovery, responding to threats to democracy, restoring alliances, addressing climate change and promoting a green energy revolution, and maintaining U.S. technological leadership as the directions of U.S. foreign policy.
He also expressed his intention to continue efforts to return to the Iran nuclear deal but made no mention of policy toward North Korea.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
