US President Joe Biden is all set to deliver his maiden address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) wherein he is likely to announce among other things that America had every intention to avoid a Cold War with China.
A White House official, who did not want to be named, has also confirmed to news agency AFP that Biden would seek to assuage global fears by telling the UN that “he (Biden) does not believe in the notion of a new Cold War with the world divided into blocks. He believes in vigorous, intensive, principled competition”.
“The president will essentially drive home the message that ending the war in Afghanistan closed the chapter focused on war and opens a chapter focused on personal, purposeful, effective American diplomacy,” the official added.
Biden’s expected announcement comes after UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres expressed his concerns about the “completely dysfunctional” US-China relationship that could lead to a new Cold War.
However, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said relations between the two nations were “one not of conflict but of competition”.
Apprehensions about a possible Cold War between the two superpowers came a week after a long-time ally of the US, France, recalled its ambassador after Australia scrapped a submarine deal with a French company in favour of nuclear-powered submarines under a trilateral security pact with the United States and Britain. The move came as a possible measure by both the US and UK to underscore the growing influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region.
White House officials expressed confidence in Biden’s ability to rework the ties with France, adding the President would remain focused on the main issue at hand — supporting regional networks to resist China’s growing military and commercial footprint.