Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio
U.S. needs more friends to counter Beijing’s ambitions
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
May 10, 2023
Nikkei Asia
Exiting World War II and entering the Cold War, the U.S. was a virtually uncontested power in many areas of industry, innovation, commerce and cultural influence…. This dynamic [allowed America to shoulder] a great deal of the conflict’s financial, logistical, diplomatic and security burdens singlehandedly.
Things are different now. America is no longer the world’s factory…. Chinese theft and imitation have significantly eroded much of America’s technological and military advantage. Meanwhile, cultural decadence, deadly drugs and political divisions are tearing America’s social fabric apart….
[T]he U.S. remains the only country strong enough to lead the effort to prevent Beijing from overturning an international system that benefits America and our friends. But we are not strong enough to counter Beijing alone. This means the U.S. must strengthen existing international relationships and cultivate new ones….
When President Joe Biden travels to Asia this month, he should strengthen America’s existing partnerships…. Japan, South Korea, India, the Philippines, Australia and the critical island of Taiwan each have unique roles to play in countering Beijing…. Biden should seek to expand this emerging coalition by cultivating and expanding relations with front-line states….
Unfortunately, this White House has a tendency to lecture and scold potential partners…. [F]orcing progressive ideology and absurd climate goals on unreceptive foreign populations is not the way to make allies…. Biden must abandon his policy of appeasing adversaries and alienating friends and get to work on building an anti-Chinese Communist Party coalition, especially in the Indo-Pacific….