The first 100 days is a benchmark to assess the performance of each newly elected US president, a tradition first started during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. This also applies to President Joe Biden, whose campaign promise to restore the soul of America will reshape America's policies, both domestic and foreign.
On top of the public health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19, President Biden must also deal with social justice, inequality issues and political divisiveness on the domestic front. Meanwhile, on foreign policy, Biden must re-establish America as a country that is willing to cooperate and work with its allies for the common good while also working on its relationship with China.
What impact will Biden's choices have on the world, and specifically on the Asian region as a whole? On 21 April 2021, the Singapore Institute of International Affairs held a webinar titled "Biden's 100 Days in Office: Is America Really Back?" with Professor Khong Yuen Foong, Vice Dean (Research and Development) and Li Ka Shing Professor in Political Science, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) and Ms Angela Mancini, Partner, Control Risks to discuss this further.
Can Biden rebuild America's credibility?
There's no denying that the Trump presidency resulted in more political divisiveness across the country and the inadequate COVID-19 response has seen more than 500,00 deaths. However, this figure doesn't seem to deter the 40% of Republicans who have indicated that they would not get vaccinated, even as 231 million doses have been given to citizens as of April 2021.
"The approach to politics, the neglect of growing inequality and infrastructure, and the mishandling of the pandemic, I think, have raised questions about America's credibility and the ability to lead on the global stage," said Prof Khong. In his view, the Biden administration has successfully identified and addressed these domestic issues through the ongoing vaccination rollout and economic stimulus to restore America's standing to its allies and foreign policy front.
Unlike President Trump, whose motto was "America First", Biden is willing to reach out to allies and strategic partners to form a common goal. This can be seen through the Leaders Summit on Climate and the recent visit of both the Secretaries of State and Defense to Asia.
"This is an administration that recognises the indispensability of working with others, especially those who share so-called common values to deal with existential trends like climate change, nuclear proliferation from Iran or North Korea," said Prof Khong.
Ms Mancini added that Biden's administration also diminished the sudden or erratic changes to regulations that often occurred during the Trump presidency. "The immediate regulatory risk is diminished heavily because we're not getting tweets at three in the morning that change things." She also remarked that there is a "tangible" sense of optimism in the United States at the moment.
The rising power of China
Throughout the years, China's power and influence have grown significantly, especially in the Asian region, as evidenced in its recent ranking in the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 2020. China ranked second after the US, further closing the gap between the two, a shift which is seen by some as a strategic threat.
The two superpowers will undoubtedly have an intense geopolitical rivalry as they persuade countries to align with their views on issues such as COVID-19 vaccines, the Indo-Pacific, the Belt and Road Initiative, and 5G/6G infrastructure. It will affect their ability to call the shots in the region. "Taiwan and Japan are solidly aligned with the US, whereas the alignments of the Southeast Asian countries are up for grabs," explained Prof Khong.
For example, to compete with China's Sinovac vaccine, the US and its allies have committed to distributing one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Southeast Asia. This is a way to win the hearts and minds of possible allies. Another sector in which the US lags is 5G technology. Southeast Asian countries are more open to Chinese companies, as opposed to the US. One example of this is Huawei which is banned in the US but is welcome in Southeast Asia.
"Southeast Asian countries often will not think twice about Huawei or 5G since it's cheap and more technologically advanced. But, these countries must realise that the US will be less cooperative with intelligence sharing, so it's something to put into consideration," warned Prof Khong.
US & China: To compete or to cooperate?
Although China and the US have competed in many aspects, there is agreement on one issue - that of climate change. "The recent announcement about their willingness to work together on climate change is indeed encouraging. And if cooperation like that is replicated, say in the North Korean nuclear situation, one can actually imagine these cooperative ventures spilling over to the economic arena, [and] perhaps some winding down of the trade war," remarked Prof Khong.
Ms Mancini pointed out that while China is cooperating on climate change, it is "in their very keen national interests," and whether or not China wants to cooperate and compete at the same time is still a big question.
Ultimately, there was agreement on the panel that the Biden administration has been successful in delivering on their campaign promises, especially in handling the COVID-19 crisis. Further down the road, it's less certain how lasting any changes may be. All Asian countries will most likely hedge their bets when it comes to dealing with the US. After all, the US midterm elections are around the corner and Biden is up for re-election in 2024.
(Photo: United States government work)