Biden warns US faces ‘decisive decade’ in rivalry with China

[beijingwalker]

Biden warns US faces ‘decisive decade’ in rivalry with China​

October 13, 2022 04:07 JST

Joe Biden warned that the United States faces a “decisive decade” in its rivalry with China, as he unveiled a National Security Strategy that singled out Beijing as having the intent and capacity to remake the global order.

In a first-of-its-kind document of his presidency, Biden wrote on Wednesday that his administration has been “clear about the scope and seriousness” of the challenge to the international order from China and Russia.

“China has the intent and, increasingly, the ability to reshape the international order in favor of one that tilts the global playing field in its favour,” Biden wrote in the preface to the 48-page document.

The National Security Strategy said the United States faced two strategic challenges: post-Cold War competition between major powers and transnational challenges ranging from climate change to global health issues.

“We now stand at an inflection point, where the choices we make and the priorities we pursue today will set us on a path that will define our competitive position well into the future,” she said.

Speaking about the strategy, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan described China as “the most important geopolitical challenge.” The document said that while Russia poses an “immediate and continuing” threat, it “lacks the overall capabilities of the People’s Republic of China.” [People’s Republic of China]”.

“We will prioritize maintaining a lasting competitive advantage over the People’s Republic of China while constraining Russia, which remains very dangerous,” she said.

In his introduction, Biden said Russia had “shattered the peace in Europe” and endangered the non-proliferation regime with its “reckless nuclear threats”.

Biden’s security strategy, which comes five years after then-President Donald Trump launched his National Security Strategy, outlines the strategic challenges facing the country and the top priorities of US national security officials.

The document said the United States was trying to support a “free, open, prosperous and secure international order” amid growing challenges from authoritarian regimes.

Washington will attempt to achieve this goal by investing in American power and influence, building strong alliances to “shape the global strategic environment,” and strengthening the military to ensure it is “prepared for an era of strategic competition with major powers.”

The focus on China comes as relations between Washington and Beijing are at their worst point since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1979. The United States is concerned about everything from the rapid modernization of the Chinese military to its aggressive activity around Taiwan.

To illustrate rising tensions, China in August conducted large-scale military exercises, including firing missiles over Taiwan for the first time, in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei.

China accuses the United States of interfering in its internal affairs and forging alliances with its anti-Chinese allies. In recent days, Beijing has criticized Washington for imposing export controls aimed at slowing Chinese advances in artificial intelligence, supercomputers and advanced chips.

Sullivan said export controls were part of what he called a “small yard, high fence” strategy by creating “choke points” for important US technologies.

“We’re doing it right now,” Sullivan said. “The foundational technologies should be within that arena and the fence should be high because our strategic competitors should not be able to exploit US and allied technologies to undermine US and allied security.”

Presenting China as the most serious challenge, the document said the United States would act to ensure that it “outperforms the People’s Republic of China in technological, economic, political, military, intelligence, and global governance.”

But, she added, China is central to the global economy and important in helping address cross-border issues such as climate change. She said the US and China should be able to “coexist peacefully”.

“We are not looking to turn the competition into a confrontation or a new Cold War,” Sullivan said.

The document comes days before Xi Jinping is expected to secure a third term as China’s leader at the 20th Communist Party Congress. US and Chinese officials are also negotiating a possible personal meeting between Biden and Xi when they attend the G-20 summit in Bali next month.

It was expected to be published earlier this year but was postponed due to the war in Ukraine. The administration will soon release two related documents – the National Defense Strategy and the Nuclear Posture Review, which will define the conditions under which America will use nuclear weapons.

Emphasizing the growing challenge posed by China, which is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, the document said that by 2030, the United States would “for the first time . . . need to deter two major nuclear powers, each of which will deploy modern global and regional nuclear powers.” and varied.”

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[beijingwalker]

China Only US Competitor That Can Reshape World, Says Team Biden​

Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser, said Wednesday that the US is in "the early years of a decisive decade" in which "the terms of our competition with the People's Republic of China will be set."​

2022, Bloomberg

The Biden administration labeled China as the nation's top competitor, while Russia remains a danger to be constrained in a new defense strategy that also calls inflation a threat to global security.

Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser, said Wednesday that the US is in "the early years of a decisive decade" in which "the terms of our competition with the People's Republic of China will be set."

"The PRC's assertiveness at home and abroad is advancing an illiberal vision across economic, political, security and technological realms -- in competition with the West," he said at a Georgetown University event following the release of the administration's long-delayed National Security Strategy.


Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine prompted a major rewrite of the congressionally mandated document, which provides a window into the White House's thinking on foreign policy and national security issues.

"This war has loomed large in the formulation of the strategy, as it should, but we do not believe it has blotted out the sun," said Sullivan.

The new 48-page public document describes China and Russia as "increasingly aligned" with each other, but says the two countries pose distinct challenges.

It calls China the US's only competitor "with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it." The challenge of handling Russia is described as one of "constraining a still profoundly dangerous" force.

Biden officials released their strategy more than 600 days into his administration, compared with the just over 300 days it took former President Donald Trump's team. The Trump document portrayed China and Russia as co-equal threats.

By the 2030s, the US for the first time will need to deter two major nuclear powers, according to the strategy, in reference to those countries. "To ensure our nuclear deterrent remains responsive to the threats we face, we are modernizing" the US nuclear force "as well as strengthening our extended deterrence commitments to our allies," it says.

When it comes to China, the Biden administration is seeking to reinforce that they're "looking for competition but not conflict -- and we're not looking for a new Cold War."

Inflation Threat

The document also mentions inflation, Democrats' biggest political liability, as among the threats to global security, less than a month before midterm elections which will determine if Biden's party retains control of the House and Senate. It lists inflation as one of the cross-border issues "people all over the world are struggling to cope with."

Stubbornly high inflation has been a drag on Democrats' midterm prospects. The Department of Labor will release the latest inflation numbers Thursday, the last release before Election Day. The median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg is for a 8.1% annual rate -- the lowest since February.

Rising prices also have the Federal Reserve poised to deliver its fourth-straight 75-basis-point hike when it meets early next month, just days before voters go to the polls. The central bank's rate hikes have fueled concerns of a recession. In an interview Tuesday with CNN, Biden said a recession in the US is possible but any downturn would be "very slight" and the US economy is resilient enough to ride out the turbulence.

When it comes to China, the Biden administration is "looking for competition but not conflict".



The Biden administration labeled China as the nation's top competitor, while Russia remains a danger to be constrained in a new defense strategy that also calls inflation a threat to global security.

Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser, said Wednesday that the US is in "the early years of a decisive decade" in which "the terms of our competition with the People's Republic of China will be set."

"The PRC's assertiveness at home and abroad is advancing an illiberal vision across economic, political, security and technological realms -- in competition with the West," he said at a Georgetown University event following the release of the administration's long-delayed National Security Strategy.


Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine prompted a major rewrite of the congressionally mandated document, which provides a window into the White House's thinking on foreign policy and national security issues.

"This war has loomed large in the formulation of the strategy, as it should, but we do not believe it has blotted out the sun," said Sullivan.

The new 48-page public document describes China and Russia as "increasingly aligned" with each other, but says the two countries pose distinct challenges.

It calls China the US's only competitor "with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it." The challenge of handling Russia is described as one of "constraining a still profoundly dangerous" force.

Biden officials released their strategy more than 600 days into his administration, compared with the just over 300 days it took former President Donald Trump's team. The Trump document portrayed China and Russia as co-equal threats.

By the 2030s, the US for the first time will need to deter two major nuclear powers, according to the strategy, in reference to those countries. "To ensure our nuclear deterrent remains responsive to the threats we face, we are modernizing" the US nuclear force "as well as strengthening our extended deterrence commitments to our allies," it says.

When it comes to China, the Biden administration is seeking to reinforce that they're "looking for competition but not conflict -- and we're not looking for a new Cold War."

Inflation Threat

The document also mentions inflation, Democrats' biggest political liability, as among the threats to global security, less than a month before midterm elections which will determine if Biden's party retains control of the House and Senate. It lists inflation as one of the cross-border issues "people all over the world are struggling to cope with."

Stubbornly high inflation has been a drag on Democrats' midterm prospects. The Department of Labor will release the latest inflation numbers Thursday, the last release before Election Day. The median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg is for a 8.1% annual rate -- the lowest since February.

Rising prices also have the Federal Reserve poised to deliver its fourth-straight 75-basis-point hike when it meets early next month, just days before voters go to the polls. The central bank's rate hikes have fueled concerns of a recession. In an interview Tuesday with CNN, Biden said a recession in the US is possible but any downturn would be "very slight" and the US economy is resilient enough to ride out the turbulence.

Among the other cross-border issues cited is climate change. "The window of opportunity to deal with shared challenges like climate change will narrow drastically even as the intensity of those challenges grows," Sullivan said.

Post a commentOne long-pending issue remains unresolved by the new strategy: Sullivan told reporters earlier Wednesday that the US trade representative's review of Trump's Section 301 tariffs on imports from China will continue "over the coming months." He said the review "will produce outcomes and recommendations to the president about a way forward."

China Only US Competitor That Can Reshape World, Says Team Biden

A new 48-page National Security Strategy document describes China and Russia as "increasingly aligned" with each other, but says the two countries pose distinct challenges.

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[大汉奸柳传志]

the “decisive decade” was 2000-2010, should thank Mr bin Laden for keeping the muricans occupied for that time