Biden strives to rally allies
Calls for unity to fight crises
UNITED NATIONS — President Joe Biden summoned the world’s nations to forcefully address the festering global issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and human rights abuses in his first address before the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. He decried military conflict and insisted the U.S. is not seeking “a new Cold War” with China.
While stressing to fellow world leaders the urgency of working together, Biden avoided addressing criticism from allies about the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and a diplomatic tempest with France.
Instead, Biden used his address before the annual gathering of world leaders to make his case that the United States remains a reliable international partner following four years of
President Donald Trump’s “America first” foreign policy.
“We’re opening a new era of relentless diplomacy, of using the power of our development aid to invest in new ways of lifting people up around the world,” Biden said.
The president offered an impassioned plea for cooperation, to friends and adversaries, arguing that overcoming a daunting list of crises “will hinge on our ability to recognize our common humanity.”
Biden said the U.S. had reached a turning point with the end of military operations in Afghanistan last month, closing out America’s longest war. That set the table, he said, for his administration to shift its attention to intensive diplomacy at a moment with no shortage of crises.
“Today, many of our greatest concerns cannot be solved or even addressed by the force of arms,” he said. “Bombs and bullets cannot defend against COVID-19 or its future variants.”
Biden offered a robust endorsement of the U.N.’S relevance and ambition at a difficult time in history, and he sought to reassure wary allies of U.S. cooperation.
He pledged to double U.S. financial aid to poorer countries to help them switch to cleaner energy and cope with the “merciless” effects of climate change. That would mean increasing assistance to about $11.4 billion a year — after five months ago doubling the amount to $5.7 billion a year. The Biden administration set a 2024 goal to reach the $11.4 billion mark.
Skeptical world leaders
Biden seemed to look past the mounting skepticism he’s faced from world leaders in the early going of his presidency, including criticism that Biden has given too little weight to allies’ concerns on issues that have ramifications for America’s friends on the world stage.
Eight months into his presidency, Biden has been out of sync with allies on the ending to the U.S. war in Afghanistan. He has faced differences over how to go about sharing coronavirus vaccines with the developing world and over pandemic travel restrictions. And there are questions about the best way to respond to military and economic moves by China.
His recent blow-up with France was born out of a three-way agreement between the U.S., Britain and Australia that undercut a more than $60 billion French submarine deal in favor of a plan to equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.
The move is expected to give Australia improved capabilities to patrol the Pacific amid growing concern about the Chinese military’s increasingly aggressive tactics.
In an interview before meeting with Biden on Monday, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was concerned about the “completely dysfunctional” U.s.-china relationship and the possibility it could lead to a new Cold War.
Biden sought to play down concerns about China tensions escalating into something more, saying: “We are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs.” Notably, Biden didn’t utter the word “China” in his 34-minute address.
‘Build a better future’
More broadly, he put a heavy emphasis on the need for world leaders to work together on the COVID-19 pandemic, to meet past obligations to address climate change, to head off emerging technology issues and to firm up trade rules.
“We will choose to build a better future,” he said. “We can do this.”
Biden limited his time at the United Nations because of coronavirus concerns. He met with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in New York following his speech, before heading back to the White House for a busy week of diplomacy in virtual and Washington settings.
Morrison and Biden did not comment on the flap with the French when they appeared briefly before the media at the start of their meeting.
Johnson, the British prime minister, made passing reference to the new security alliance that paved the way for the submarine deal when he met with Biden later Tuesday at the White House.
Johnson said that creation of the alliance, dubbed AUKUS, has “great potential to benefit the whole world.” The British leader made no mention of the French uproar.