Biden Administration Says ‘China Is the Enemy’ – Strategic Ambiguity Should Be Abandoned

President Joe Biden declared in his inaugural address, “We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again.” His remarks show he is determined to strengthen cooperation through alliances and reestablish American leadership in opposition to Chinese expansionism. After he was elected last November, President Biden also emphasized that America needs to be able to set international trade rules instead of China.

Biden’s Cabinet is following suit, issuing forceful remarks targeting China. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said of former President Donald Trump’s policy toward China, “The basic principle was the right one,” and disclosed that China poses the most significant challenge to the United States. Director of National intelligence Avril Haines stipulated, “when it comes to espionage or [trade] … [China is] an adversary.” While the Biden administration may differ from the Trump administration in the way it operates, it appears that a basic position of being tough with China will carry over. Accordingly, the battle for supremacy between the United States and China is expected to reach a new level of ferocity.

There is a high likelihood that moving forward, President Biden, who announced earlier that “America is back,” will demand the active participation of South Korea and other countries on the front lines with China. When Biden visited Korea as vice president in December 2013, he expressed strong apprehension about the possibility of closeness between Korea and China during his meeting with President Park Geun-hye, saying it has “never been a good bet to bet against America.” Nonetheless, Korea runs the risk of becoming an outcast in northeast Asia by advocating for “strategic ambiguity” and “diplomatic balance” between the United States and China.

We need to be able to state our position plainly and say what we need to say to China, and abandon the idea of “America for security, China for economy.” First and foremost, it’s necessary to zero in on the Korea-U.S. alliance and seek cooperation from our allies. To this end, we must actively participate in opportunities such as the global democracy summit forwarded by the Biden administration, and the Group of Seven summit of major industrial nations hosted in England by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to which Korea and others were invited, with the idea of expanding it to a “Democratic 10.” While we should maintain a friendly relationship with our top trade partner China by staying flexible, we need to work on reducing our economic reliance on China by diversifying trade and investment.