By Jarrett Renshaw
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden heads to South America on Thursday for a curtain call with world leaders after more than 50 years in U.S. politics, but the man who tried and failed to prevent him from returning to power is likely the center of attention of many. meetings: incoming president Donald Trump.
Biden will hold private meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the heads of Japan, South Korea and Brazil during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, summits in Peru and the Group of 20 major economies, or G20, in Brazil. The six-day meetings are not expected to result in any major new agreements, senior Biden administration officials said, although they are likely to address trade, security and global alliances.
“APEC and the G20 will be about one thing… and that is Donald Trump, and what to expect from the next Trump administration on trade, alliances and other issues,” said Victor Cha, president of the Department of Geopolitics and Foreign Policy. . at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, in the Nov. 5 presidential election after promising Americans that he would impose high tariffs on all imports, with higher tariffs targeting Chinese goods, and signaling much support gentler on Ukraine in its war against Russia. . Harris’ loss came after Biden was forced to step aside in the race over fears that, at 81, he was too old for another term.
Trump’s Republican Party also gained control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress, giving him additional power to push for action on trade and other issues.
Biden took office in 2020 seeking to rebuild alliances strained during Trump’s first term and sought to demonstrate that the United States remained committed beyond its borders. He strengthened and expanded NATO and worked to counter China in the Indo-Pacific by building multilateral alliances in Asia.
Trump has a fundamentally different worldview than Biden, preferring bilateral meetings where he can practice transactional diplomacy to multilateral partnerships like NATO.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Wednesday that Biden will use the trip to send the message that the United States values and invests in its alliances and will thank those who have helped address a range of global issues.
“It’s a message of principle. It’s a practical message, and it’s been one of the causes of President Biden’s life,” he said.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Peru on Thursday, Sullivan said the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea were working to institutionalize trilateral ties as an “enduring feature of American policy.” and said the three countries would establish a secretariat for the grouping.
Sullivan also said Biden would raise concerns with other leaders about the introduction of North Korean soldiers into Russia, calling it a significant development. He said he expected a “coordinated set of policy decisions” in response to the issue.
SWAN SONG OR LAME DUCK
Biden will meet President Xi on Saturday during the APEC summit in Lima, White House officials said. The face-to-face meeting will be the last chance for Biden to directly question the Chinese leader about his threats against Taiwan, his alleged human rights violations and his support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
It will be the first time the two leaders have met in person since a summit between the two in California a year ago. That marked a turning point for U.S.-China relations after Biden’s decision in early 2023 to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon floating above the United States raised tensions.
America’s economic and military competition with China will define what the world will look like in the next 30 years, Sullivan said, adding that Republicans and Democrats have long demonstrated bipartisanship in the area of foreign policy.
Trump’s incoming Cabinet is packed with politicians who have pushed a tough message on China.
Biden will not convey any messages from Trump to Xi, Sullivan said, but will likely talk about the need to avoid military conflict.
“It will also really reinforce the point that in order for us to manage this competition responsibly in the future, we have to maintain long-term channels of communication at all levels, particularly between the military levels,” Sullivan said.
Biden and Trump met for two hours at the White House on Wednesday.
Biden is also expected to hold a trilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Erin Murphy, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said it won’t be a swan song for Biden, but a different kind of bird.
“He’s not only an outgoing duck, but he’s a super outgoing duck because his successor will have very different policies than him,” Murphy said.