In the transition between administrations, while domestic violence raged, no foreign adversary tested the United States — an apparent kumbaya period of goodwill among friend and foe alike.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said of Joe Biden, “I look forward to working with him and his new administration, strengthening the partnership between our countries.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added, “I wish you the greatest success. God bless the United States. God bless Israel.” And a spokeswoman from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, “I hope China and the U.S. could meet each other halfway in the spirit of mutual respect.” But there are warning signs.
Conservative columnist Gordon Chang cautioned, “China doesn’t meet anybody halfway. We know that the elite in Beijing was looking forward to the Biden administration, they were saying that they would then again be able to determine outcomes at the top of the American political system. I don’t know if they’re right. But nonetheless, that’s their mindset.”
That while China took a parting shot at the Trump administration, sanctioning outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, banning him from travel to China, Hong Kong, and Macao.
In contrast to the Biden campaign’s talk of Donald Trump’s “dangerous” foreign policy, Biden’s pick for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, under questioning from Senate Republicans, suggested building off of some Trump foreign policies.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson asked him, “I think, first of all, we did get our NATO partners to invest more in NATO, and that’s a good thing, right? Do you have any reservations about that?” Blinken responded, “I do not.”
Whether the new administration acknowledges the same about Trump’s approach to Iran, remains to be seen. Biden is set to reenter the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal.
The honeymoon period is unlikely to last, particularly with an aggressive China, which may see Biden as vulnerable, given his son Hunter’s past financial ties to companies linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
