Joe Biden-harris agenda talks tough on China, terrorism

WASHINGTON: Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for the November 3 US election, rolled out his agenda on Friday, which talks tough on China and cross-border terrorism in South Asia, and also focuses on relations with India and the welfare of Indian-americans. The agenda for Biden, who recently named Kamala Harris as his running mate for the polls, aims to work with India in the Indopacific region to ensure that “no country, including China, is able to threaten its neighbours with impunity” and will have “no tolerance” for cross-border terrorism in South Asia. The agenda says Biden “believes there can be no tolerance for terrorism in South Asia - cross-border or otherwise”. The reference was unmistakably to cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.

On China, the Biden administration wants to ensure continuity. “A Biden administration will also work with India to support a rules-based and stable Indo-pacific

region in which no country, including China, is able to threaten its neighbours with impunity,” the agenda says.

Also, the Biden-harris administration will place “high priority” on bolstering ties with New Delhi, continue to strengthen India’s defence capabilities, and bring the US back into the Paris climate agreement. On immigration, Biden will “preserve family unification as a core principle of our immigration system” and increase the number of visas offered for permanent, workbased immigration, that is, green cards - a pledge that counters US President Donald Trump’s decision to switch to a merit-based system. Biden’s administration promises to exempt graduates of

PHD programmes in STEM fields from any cap, basically eliminating the country limit on green cards. He also pledges to support reforming the temporary visa system for H-1BS in order to protect wages and workers.

The Biden-harris agenda is the first expansive plan released by any US presidential campaign when it comes to addressing

Indian-americans and relations with New Delhi. The agenda notes that as a senator, Biden had said in 2006, “My dream is that in 2020, the two closest nations in the world will be India and the US”. The agenda also vows the Biden administration will address rising incidents of hate crimes against “Indianamericans of all backgrounds”.