The United States is committed to advancing peace, prosperity, and freedom globally, and to building a world where nations can chart their own paths, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In a major speech on May 26 at George Washington University in Washington, Blinken outlined the Biden-Harris administration’s approach to defending and reforming the international principles and institutions that have lifted billions out of poverty while supporting human rights and national sovereignty.
“Our task is to prove once again that democracy can meet urgent challenges, create opportunities, and promote human dignity,” Blinken said. “The future belongs to those who believe in freedom and that all countries will be free to chart their own paths without coercion.”
Blinken’s remarks contrasted the vision of the United States with the challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
“China is the only country with the intent to reshape the international order as well as the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do so increasingly,” Blinken said. “Beijing’s vision would take us away from the universal values that have underpinned much of the world’s progress over the last 75 years.”
He cited the PRC President Xi Jinping’s defense of Vladimir Putin during Russia’s military escalation to invade Ukraine, as well as the genocide and crimes against humanity by the PRC in Xinjiang, human rights abuses against Tibetans, and the repression of democracy in Hong Kong.
He also stated that the PRC’s economic policies undermine the principles that allowed its economic rise, rather than advocating for them so that other nations can benefit as well. Blinken emphasized that the United States is not “seeking conflict or a new Cold War” with the PRC, nor trying to change its political system. Instead, the United States and its partners are working to shape a future that benefits all nations, Blinken said.
This includes partnering with the PRC whenever possible. He cited the 2021 joint statement from the U.S. and China in Glasgow aimed at addressing methane and coal emissions as a successful collaboration, and said that opportunities for future cooperation include combating global food scarcity.
“Working together to solve big challenges is what the world expects from great powers,” Blinken said. “There is no reason our great nations cannot peacefully coexist, share, and contribute towards human progress together.”
The United States is seeking to modernize the global system to ensure it works for “all nations, large and small.” To do this, Blinken said, they are investing in their personnel, aligning their efforts with like-minded partners, and competing on equal terms.
By investing in infrastructure, education, and research, the United States is betting on the ingenuity of its workforce to develop the technologies of the future. This workforce includes many people from China who came to the United States to study and then stayed in the country.
Partnerships, such as the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council, are ensuring that new technologies support democratic, not authoritarian, values. The new Economic Framework for Prosperity in the Indo-Pacific (IPEF), launched by President Biden in Tokyo on May 23, aims to promote broad-based economic growth and deepen cooperation to tackle 21st-century global challenges. The 13 founding members of IPEF represent over 40% of the global economy.
The United States is working with its Quad partners, Australia, India, and Japan, as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to address global challenges such as COVID-19 and the climate crisis.
“We cannot count on Beijing to change its trajectory,” Blinken said. “Thus, we will shape the strategic environment around Beijing to promote our vision of an open and inclusive international system.”
Source: share.america.gov