Will ensure that America not China sets the international agenda: White House

Biden ministration has said that by restoring US credibility and reasserting forward-looking global leership, it will ensure that America, not a more assertive and authoritarian China, sets international agenda, working alongside countries like India to shape new norms and agreements globally that vance its interests and reflect its values.

comments were me in Biden ministration's Interim National Security Strategic Guidance released on Wednesday. It lays “out a vision for how United States can seize what we view as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to renew America's vantages at home and abro,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference. Guidance, she said, is designed to communicate ministration's strategic approach and central priorities for national security policy.

“It describes changed strategic landscape US faces today and affirms our enduring core national interests, including protecting security of American people, expanding economic prosperity and opportunity, and realising and defending democratic values at heart of American way of life,” Psaki said.

In its interim National Security Guidance, White House said that this agenda will strengn its enduring vantages, and allow it to prevail in strategic competition with China or any or nation. “ most effective way for America to out-compete a more assertive and authoritarian China over long-term is to invest in our people, our economy, and our democracy,” it said.

“By restoring US credibility and reasserting forward-looking global leership, we will ensure that America, not China, sets international agenda, working alongside ors to shape new global norms and agreements that vance our interests and reflect our values.

"By bolstering and defending our unparalleled network of allies and partners, and making smart defense investments, we will also deter Chinese aggression and counter threats to our collective security, prosperity, and democratic way of life,” Guidance said.

Reiterating that US will reinvigorate and modernise its alliances and partnerships around world, Guidance said that beyond its core alliances, US will also double down on building partnerships throughout world, because its strength is multiplied when it combines efforts to dress common challenges, share costs, and widen circle of cooperation. “As we do, we will recognise that our vital national interests compel deepest connection to Indo-Pacific, Europe, and Western Hemisphere. And we will be mindful of both our values and our interests as we engage partner nations.

"We will deepen our partnership with India and work alongside New Zealand, as well as Singapore, Vietnam, and or Association of Souast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, to vance shared objectives. Recognising ties of shared history and sacrifice, we will reinforce our partnership with Pacific Island states,” Guidance said.

At its root, White House said that ensuring national security requires m to defend and nurture underlying sources of American strength, including its people, economy, national defence, and democracy at home; promote a favourable distribution of power to deter and prevent versaries from directly threatening US and its allies, inhibiting access to global commons, or dominating key regions; and le and sustain a stable and open international system, underwritten by strong democratic alliances, partnerships, multilateral institutions, and rules. It said that US will position itself, diplomatically and militarily, to defend its allies.

“We will support China's neighbours and commercial partners in defending ir rights to make independent political choices free of coercion or undue foreign influence. We will promote locally-led development to combat manipulation of local priorities,” said Guidance.

“We will support Taiwan, a leing democracy and a critical economic and security partner, in line with longstanding American commitments. We will ensure that US companies do not sacrifice American values in doing business in China. And we will stand up for democracy, human rights, and human dignity, including in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet. On all se issues, we will work to forge a common approach with like minded countries,” it said.

relations between US and China are at an all-time low. two countries are currently engaged in a bitter confrontation over various issues, including tre, origins of novel coronavirus pandemic, communist giant's aggressive military moves in disputed South China Sea and human rights violations. At same time, White House recognises that strategic competition does not, and should not, preclude working with China when it is in its national interest to do so.

“Indeed, renewing America’s vantages ensures that we will engage China from a position of confidence and strength. We will conduct practical, results-oriented diplomacy with Beijing and work to reduce risk of misperception and miscalculation,” it said. “We will welcome Chinese government’s cooperation on issues such as climate change, global health security, arms control, and nonproliferation where our national fates are intertwined. As we do, we will rally our allies and partners to join us, pooling our negotiating leverage and showing our collective power and resolve,” Guidance said.