In one of his last public appearances before leaving the White House next week, Vice President Mike Pence urged the Biden government to exercise “eternal vigilance”, especially when it comes to US-China relations.
“As a new American government prepares to take office, we will do well to remind, as Americans, that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance,” Pence told sailors at Naval Air Station Lemoore on Saturday. “And a free and open Indo-Pacific is essential to our prosperity, our security and the vitality of freedom in the world.”
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Pence’s comments came just days after the Trump administration publicized the U.S. strategy to address the growing threat between China and nations in the Indo-Pacific region.
The strategy aims to strengthen military personnel in India, Japan, South Korea and Australia to help the United States curb China’s growing dominance, Air Force Magazine reported earlier this week.
In addition to the documents released, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said that China is “putting increasing pressure on Indo-Pacific nations to subordinate their freedom and sovereignty to a ‘common destiny’ envisioned by the Chinese Communist Party”.
O’Brien said the aim of fighting back against China is to help allied nations in the region, “who share the values and aspirations of a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
Pence said on Saturday that China is “determined” to spread its dominance in the region through “military measures and dead diplomacy”.
US-China relations deteriorated enormously under the Trump administration last year, with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, China’s efforts to restrict Hong Kong’s autonomy and the US-China trade war.
Friday marked the anniversary of the historic Trade Agreement that the US and China signed on January 15, 2020. It sought to reduce U.S. tariffs in exchange for China’s promise to buy at least $ 200 billion in American products .
Biden has vowed to restore US relations with the international community, which he believes has been undermined by Trump’s “America first” approach.
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He plans to return to the Paris Climate Agreement, reverse Iranian sanctions, strengthen US-NATO ties and reverse the decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization.
But the way Biden plans to deal with China is unlikely to be much different than Trump’s.
Biden is expected to focus on combating coronavirus in the US, strengthening the economy and advancing US climate initiatives, while reversing international policies that he can more easily adopt.
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While it is unclear whether the Department of Defense will see reductions in military spending under the new administration, they are unlikely to see continued increases routinely exercised under Trump.
“I urge the next government to stay the course and do what we did, to resist Chinese aggression and commercial abuses,” said Pence, concluding one of his last speeches as vice president. “Stand firm for a free and open Indo-Pacific and put America and our freedom-loving allies first.”