Biden will say goodbye to APEC and G20 under the shadow of Trump By Reuters
Written by Jarrett Renshaw
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden heads to South America on Thursday to address world leaders after more than 50 years in American politics, but the man he tried and failed to prevent from returning to office may be the focus of many. meetings: incoming President Donald Trump.
Biden will hold private meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the heads of Japan, South Korea and Brazil during the summits of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, in Peru and the Group of 20 leaders in economics, or the G20, in Brazil. The six-day meetings are not expected to produce major new deals, senior Biden administration officials said, as they are likely to affect trade, security and global alliances.
“APEC and the G20 will have one thing … and that is Donald Trump – and what to expect from the next Trump administration on trade, alliances, and other issues,” said Victor Cha, president of the Department of Geopolitics and Foreign Policy. at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, in the November 5 presidential election after promising Americans that he would impose tariffs on all imports, and even more targeting Chinese goods, and showed soft support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. . Harris’ loss came after Biden was forced to drop out of the race over concerns that at age 81 he was too old to seek another term.
Trump’s Republican Party also won control of both houses of the US Congress, giving him more power to push for trade measures and other issues.
Biden took office in 2020 seeking to rebuild troubled alliances during Trump’s first term and tried to show that the US remained united beyond its borders. He strengthened and expanded NATO and worked to counter China in the Indo-Pacific by building multilateral alliances in Asia.
Trump has a very different worldview than Biden, preferring bilateral meetings where he can practice negotiating between multilateral partnerships like NATO.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Wednesday that Biden will use the trip to send a message that America values and invests in its alliances and thank those who helped deal with a series of global problems.
“It’s a message of principle. It’s a message that works, and it’s been one of the causes of President Biden’s life,” he said.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One bound for Peru on Thursday, Sullivan said the leaders of the US, Japan and South Korea are working to strengthen trilateral relations “as a permanent feature of American policy,” which the three countries will establish. party secretary.
Sullivan also said that Biden will express the concerns of other leaders about the introduction of North Korean troops into Russia, which he called a major development. He said he expects “a set of coordinated policy decisions” in response to the issue.
THE SONG OF THE SWAN OR THE LAME DUCK
Biden will meet with President Xi on Saturday during the APEC summit in Lima, White House officials said. Each meeting will be Biden’s last chance to directly challenge the Chinese leader over his threats against Taiwan, alleged human rights abuses and support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It will be the first time these leaders meet in person since the conference between the two in California last year. That marked a turning point in US-China relations after Biden’s decision in early 2023 to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon that drifted over the United States heightened tensions.
The economic and military competition between the US and China will define what the world looks like in the next 30 years, Sullivan said, adding that Republicans and Democrats have long shown unity in the area of foreign policy.
Trump’s incoming cabinet is full of politicians who have pushed a tough message on China.
Biden will not convey any messages to Xi from Trump, Sullivan said, but he is likely to talk about the need to avoid military conflict.
“He will also reinforce the point that in order to be able to manage this competition responsibly going forward, we must maintain communication channels at all levels, especially military to military,” said Sullivan.
Biden and Trump met for two hours at the White House on Wednesday.
Biden is expected to hold a trilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Erin Murphy, deputy director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said it won’t be a Biden song, but a different kind of bird.
“He is not only a lame duck, but he is a big loser because his successor will have very different goals than him,” said Murphy.
