Biden’s Top Diplomat Calls to Rebuild US Alliances to Counter ‘Threats’

Antony Blinken said Trump was right to take a hardline approach on China

On Tuesday, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden’s pick for secretary of state, called for the revitalization of US alliances to counter “threats” to the US from countries like China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia.

Blinken, a long-time aide to Biden, made the comments before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Not one of the big challenges we face can be met by one country acting alone — even one as powerful as the US,” he said.

“We can revitalize our core alliances — force multipliers of our influence around the world. Together, we are far better positioned to counter threats posed by Russia, Iran, and North Korea and to stand up for democracy and human rights,” Blinken said.

He also said that the US could “out-compete China” with the help of its allies. The Trump administration has been working to shore up the support of US allies in the Pacific to counter Beijing, something the Biden administration is expected to continue.

With a reputation as a skilled diplomat, a State Department under Blinken will likely be more successful at strengthening military cooperation in Asia than Mike Pompeo’s State Department was.

Blinken also discussed President Trump’s hardline China policies on Tuesday. He said Trump “was right in taking a tougher approach to China,” although he did not totally agree with Trump’s tactics.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.