'Return to the Obama Era or a Third Way'... Spotlight on Biden's 'Foreign Policy'

Rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement... Pledge to Halt WHO Withdrawal
Position to Return to Traditional US Diplomatic Line
Full Return Difficult After Trump Era Experience
May Take a New Path Due to China's Rise

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] As the possibility of Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential candidate, winning the election is openly discussed, his foreign policy is drawing attention. It is being watched whether Donald Trump’s 'America First' policy will be discarded and the U.S. will return to its previous policies. Some even predict that after experiencing the Trump era, the U.S. now faces the challenge of pursuing a new diplomacy.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

During the election period, Biden pledged to "restore American leadership" and expressed his intention to overturn President Trump’s isolationist diplomacy. Under this intention, Biden stated that he would rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement immediately upon taking office and halt the U.S. withdrawal process from the World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally, Biden indicated that if Iran agrees to dialogue, he would return to the nuclear agreement (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). He also repeatedly expressed his intention to strengthen relations with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a traditional U.S. ally. In particular, he clearly stated that the U.S. would lead a global response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Biden’s foreign policy vision is interpreted as a restoration of U.S. foreign policy prior to President Trump. He has sharply criticized Trump’s foreign policy. Biden pointed out that "(Trump’s) America First policy made the U.S. isolated." He criticized Trump for embracing 'bullies' like North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un while damaging relationships with traditional allies such as NATO.

Brian McKeon, who advises Biden on foreign policy, said, "Biden will have a lot of work to do (regarding foreign policy)," adding, "Trump attacked almost all allies and partners, embraced dictators, waged trade wars that did not help the middle class, and withdrew from international organizations."

It is expected that the top-down diplomatic approach of the past will be withdrawn, and cooperative diplomacy with allied countries will be strengthened. There is speculation that the voices of traditional allies such as Europe will be regarded as more important. European countries also expect Biden’s foreign policy to revive the liberal international order and multilateralism based on principles, which had been in crisis. According to Tom Wright, a researcher at the Brookings Institution, "Biden will be the most supportive president of cooperation with Europe since George W. Bush."

However, there are also predictions that even if Biden is elected, U.S. foreign policy will not return to the pre-Trump era.

This is because the U.S. and the world have already experienced the Trump era. In fact, some allied countries do not trust Biden’s intention to break away from Trump’s foreign policy. For example, even if Biden is elected, it is expected that policies such as moving the U.S. embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem will not be reversed. Trump’s policies may be maintained knowingly or unknowingly. Also, Biden is not expected to conduct diplomacy by conceding just because Europe wants it.

Moreover, there are criticisms that U.S. credibility has declined as Trump frequently overturned international agreements as if flipping his hand.

Rebecca Lissner, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College, predicted, "The fact that informal diplomacy took precedence over formal diplomatic treaties after the Trump era will have lasting effects." If any agreement made by a previous president can be overturned by the next, it becomes difficult for counterparts to trust agreements with the U.S. Having witnessed the election of Trump and the implementation of America First, the world has confirmed that such situations can recur at any time.

Structurally, it is pointed out that after experiencing the Trump era, U.S. foreign policy faces difficulties in gaining trust. It is also noted that the scope of U.S. diplomatic discretion has shrunk. Due to China’s rise, the relative power of the U.S. has weakened, making it difficult to pursue the diplomacy of former President Barack Obama’s era.

Because of these concerns, Biden’s foreign policy is also said to be divided. Researcher Wright claimed that Biden’s camp has diverse voices ranging from arguments that foreign policy should be restored to its past form to calls for a complete overhaul.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.