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Context: Biden’s nominations for key national security posts reflect on the reliance of Obama-era liberal internationalists.
Background
- Biden wants to rescue the U.S. foreign policy after Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ conduct.
- He wants Washington to reassume the role of a steward on global governance issues, lead in the advocacy of democratic values and human rights, and sustain its network of alliances from western Europe to northeast Asia.
- For this, Mr. Biden has nominated veterans from the Barack Obama administration.
How Biden will be different from Trump administration in context of engagement with UN specialized bodies?
- Trump administration saw the America’s withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council and UNESCO.
- To restore the relations, Biden has tapped career diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield to represent Washington at the UN who has served as the Barack Obama’s Assistant Secretary of State for Africa.
How Biden will be different from Trump administration in context of Climate change issues?
- Biden has pledged to reverse Mr. Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement and he is expected to elevate the position as part of his National Security Council.
- His decision to tap former Secretary of State John Kerry as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate is reflective of the high priority.
How Biden will be different from Trump administration with respect to Relation with Iran?
- Biden has pledged to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal. He has nominated Jake Sullivan as the National Security Adviser.
- Sullivan was a key player in the secret negotiations that led to the 2015 deal.
- He has also worked on the implementation of her ‘Pivot to Asia’ policy the early precursor to the Indo-Pacific strategy.
How Biden will be different from Trump administration with respect to Relation with India?
- There will be a continuity in U.S.-India ties under Mr. Biden.
- Trumps nominated key members already have the experience of being part of the modern-day development of America’s ties with India.
- For instance, Mr. Blinken, oversaw the passage of the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement. Similarly, Mr. Sullivan had been a supporter of U.S.-India ties being a central component of the ‘Pivot to Asia’ policy.
- Under Biden’s administration, the priority will be to further build on Mr. Trump’s record. Where, he classified India under the Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 and finalized the Industrial Security Annex for the actualisation of the DTTI.
- We can see major developments in India- US ties with India’s designation as ‘Major Defence Partner’ and the initiation of the United States-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) in Biden years.
- However, the U.S. will reserve apprehensions over some of India’s domestic policies such as India cracking down on freedom of movement and freedom of speech in Kashmir and some of the laws on citizenship.
