FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 26, 2022
Contact: press@defensepriorities.org
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a speech outlining the Biden administration’s China policy. Defense Priorities Director of Asia Engagement Lyle Goldstein issued the following statement in response:
“Secretary Blinken’s remarks reflect President Biden’s attempt at walking a fine line on China policy, recognizing its rise will test the U.S.-dominated status quo in Asia while acknowledging the imperative for active engagement with Beijing—but that balance is undermined by the ideological framing woven throughout this speech and the Biden administration’s overall approach to Asia policy.
“U.S.-China policy is on course to intensify militarized rivalry with China, which may come at the expense of regional stability and U.S. prosperity. Multilateral measures to contain China, such as the Quad and AUKUS, endorse the dangerous strategy of reflexively opposing every initiative taken by Beijing, rather than focusing on advancing vital U.S. interests narrowly defined. It’s important to take China’s strategic challenge seriously without threat inflation or crossing into paranoia. The United States should focus on strengthening itself for long-term competition and avoid exhausting itself in the short-run—it should set realistic goals based on U.S. interests and prioritize among challenges.
“Secretary Blinken rightly called for ‘more realism’ with respect to China—that starts by recognizing what Beijing considers its ‘core interests,’ including Taiwan, and understanding whether those issues are peripheral to U.S. national security, particularly when ideological lenses are removed.
“A restraint-based approach to Asia seeks a stable balance of power, including sharing the burden of deterring possible Chinese aggression among our allies and partners in the region. China’s neighbors are likely to do more to balance China if they perceive a threat and if the United States encourages them to do more to fortify and defend themselves. It also simultaneously accepts a more credible, common sense version of the One China policy that does not unnecessarily put U.S. military personnel in danger or risk a nuclear confrontation over Taiwan.”
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