Biden to ask G7 allies to work together on China challenge
Story highlights
Biden will urge democracies to work together to push back against practices and policies of the Chinese government that he will describe as “economically abusive and counter to our values.”
US President Joe Biden will on Friday rally global democracies and European allies to work together to address a range of concerns about China.
Biden is, however, not looking for a "new Cold War." The Democratic president will use a “virtual visit” to Europe to try to re-establish the United States as a multilateral team player after four years of divisive “America First” policies pursued by Donald Trump.
Biden will urge democracies to work together to push back against practices and policies of the Chinese government that he will describe as “economically abusive and counter to our values.”
The Biden White House is reviewing China policy across an array of fronts, including its military buildup and trade policies, its actions in Hong Kong, treatment of minority Uighurs in Xinjiang and its handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
Biden will meet at 9 am (1400 GMT) with G7 leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan by video-conference, but plans to join them for an in-person summit hosted by the UK this summer.
Additionally, later on Friday morning, Biden will address an online session of the Munich Security Conference -- which often draws top global leaders.
Several years ago as a private citizen, Biden had reassured participants rattled by the Trump presidency: “We will be back.”
Biden will underscore that democracies, not autocracies, offer the best path forward for the world, after the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump rioters made clear that democracy was fragile.
The US president will also speak specifically about “malign” and concerted action he believes Russia has taken to destabilise and undermine democracy in the United States and Europe and elsewhere, and will call on allies to stand firm with Washington.
The Kremlin has, however, repeatedly denied any such action.
On the challenge posed by Iran’s nuclear programme, Biden will say the United States looks forward to re-engaging in diplomacy amid efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal that Trump abandoned, the official said.
Biden will also urge other G7 leaders to continue to invest heavily in their economies to foster and accelerate economic growth.
(with inputs from Reuters)