WORLD THIS WEEK

Contributed by the National Institute for Advanced Studies, BengaluruCompiled by D Suba Chandran, Sourina Bej, Avishka Ashok and Teshu Singh

The US: Biden calls for the return of America and diplomacy, as he unveils the US foreign policy priorities

What happened?

On 4 February, in a speech at the US Department of State, the new President Biden outlined his foreign policy priorities. The message he wanted the world to hear is: “America is back. Diplomacy is back at the center of our foreign policy.”

As a general outlook on the American alliances, leadership, China and Russia, he said: “We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again, not to meet yesterday’s challenges, but today’s and tomorrow’s. American leadership must meet this new moment of advancing authoritarianism, including the growing ambitions of China to rival the United States and the determination of Russia to damage and disrupt our democracy.”

In terms of principles that the US would like to follow in conducting foreign policy, he said: “we must start with diplomacy rooted in America’s most cherished democratic values: defending freedom, championing opportunity, upholding universal rights, respecting the rule of law, and treating every person with dignity.”

He considered climate change as an existential threat, as he wants to build global cooperation to address the same.

What does it mean?

As Biden underlined in his 4 February speech, the above would mean that the US is back and would use diplomacy and alliances to reengage the world. This would be crucial and much needed, given the four disastrous years of American foreign policy of disengaging the world and breaking the alliances. Biden’s big challenge would be to fill the gap that Trump has yielded and fill it fast. 2021 is not 2016; there have been numerous changes in the last five years. Biden will have to be proactive.

The emphasis on human rights should be another significant relief. Starting from Yemen, there are numerous conflict spots, that need a rightful engagement of the US. On this issue as well, there are enormous challenges – starting from Russia, Middle East, Africa, Afghanistan, Myanmar and the list would be a long one. Biden will have to prioritize.

Russia: New tension with Europe, Moscow expels European diplomats

What happened?

On 5 February, Russia expelled diplomats from Germany, Sweden, and Poland for joining the protests in support of opposition activist Alexei Navalny, who was jailed earlier last week. In its statement, the Russian foreign ministry said the diplomats had taken part in "illegal demonstrations" held on 23 January and "such actions do not correspond to their diplomatic status. Russia expects that in the future, the diplomatic missions of Sweden, Poland and Germany and their personnel will strictly follow international law norms."

The diplomats' home countries have condemned the expulsions along with the UK, France and the EU. German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass denounced the expulsion as being "in no way justified." Sweden said the claim was unfounded and said it reserved the right to an appropriate response. Poland reiterated that the expulsion could lead to the "further deepening of the crisis in bilateral relations." EU's foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, who is currently in Russia, on behalf of the EU, said he "strongly condemned this decision and rejected the allegations that they conducted activities incompatible with their status as foreign diplomats."

What does it mean?

First, despite tensions, the EU has not engaged in constructive criticism of Russia. Instead, they have come together to negotiate on the Iran nuclear deal or the Paris climate agreement. The EU is still Moscow's most significant trade and investment partner, and Merkel on 6 February has said Berlin's stance on the Nord Stream 2 remains "unaffected". Thus, it is difficult to foresee any untoward pushback from the EU yet. Second, international pressure didn't alter Russia's defiance on human rights and freedom in 2014. It probably will not now as the hallmarks of Moscow's preparation to handle the "Navalny issue" is the same as it did with the Crimean crises.

China: New Redlines on Xinjiang, Taiwan and Hong Kong, as US-China relations starts under Biden

What happened?

On 1 February 2021, in a conversation with Jacob J. Lew, the Politburo Member and the Director of the office of the Central Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Politburo of the 19th CPC Central Committee, Yang Jiechi expounded on the state of US-China relations and prospects for the future of the bilateral relations. In his address, he cautioned the US not to cross the "red lines".

What does it mean?

Will the Biden administration go back on the Trump policies? The new administration has already reaffirmed Taiwan's enduring commitment and advised China "to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure." US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said he agreed that China's actions in its western Xinjiang region should be designated as "genocide". He has also offered support to people fleeing Hong Kong, "the US should give haven to people fleeing political repression in Hong Kong. Consequently, Yang Yechi alluded to draw a "red line" on the core issues and reiterated that the US should fulfil its commitment to abide by the One-China principle.

Yang Jiechi speech was the most high-profile appeal by China to the US ever since Joe Biden took office. Through this speech, he has put the onus on the US to mend the damage caused by the "misguided policies" under the Trump administration. Furthermore, after the speech, China Daily published an article titled, "US govt urged to focus on cooperation". The article highlighted that both China

and the US task to take their relationship back to "a predictable and constructive track". It stated, the two largest economies should build a model of interaction that "focuses on peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation".

ALSO IN NEWS

China: BBC reports of systematic abuse in Xinjiang detention camps

On 3 February, the BBC published a report regarding the horrifying treatment of women in China's "re-education camps". The report spoke about systematic rape, sexual abuse and torture of Uighur women at Chinese authorities' hands. The report has garnered strong statements from Australia, UK and the US, demanding inspection in the region by international bodies like the United Nations. While accusing the BBC of fake news, China has denied the reports of abuse and insists that the camps operate per the international regulations on human rights.

Japan: Two-plus-two meeting with the US to strengthen relations

On 4 February, the defence ministers and foreign ministers of Japan and Britain conducted a virtual meeting where the two countries agreed to cooperate on economic, national security, cyberspace, the pandemic and climate change. Japan raised the recently passed Chinese Coast Guard Law and appreciated the dispatch of Queen Elizabeth, an aircraft carrier strike group, in the South China Sea. The two countries signed a comprehensive economic partnership right after Britain's exit from the EU.

Myanmar: Coup leads to Civil Disobedience; increase in demands for Suu Kyi and Myint Win's release

On 1 February, the military detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint and other members of the NLD. 24 Ministers of the NLD were removed and instead an eleven-member bench was appointed comprising of retired military officers and members of the USDP. On 2 February, most detainees, except Suu Kyi and Myint Win were released. The UN Security Council met to release a statement on the subject but were blocked by China who stated the matter as an "internal matter" of Myanmar.

Russia: Sputnik V Vaccine announces 91 per cent efficacy

On 2 February, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) confirmed the safety and efficacy by announcing 91 per cent efficiency of the Sputnik Vaccine. The vaccine was effective against the coronavirus even in senior citizens over the age of 60. The Chief Executive Officer of the RDIF said that the Sputnik V vaccine was among the only three vaccines in the world which provided with efficiency above 90 per cent and also provided ease in transportation and storage due to its requirement of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.

Russia: Navalny's arrest intensifies protests across Russian cities

On 2 February, Alexey Navalny was declared guilty for violating the terms of a case from 2014. He was sentenced to three-and-half years in prison, but he failed to report regularly to the Federal Penitentiary Service. The court has converted his judgement into a real one after claiming his excuse for non-appearance to be insufficient. Over 1400 people have been detained for protesting against the arrest of Navalny. Navalny also issued a statement from prison, urging the people not to give up the fight against Putin's government.

Canada: Proud Boys declared as a terrorist group

On 3 February, Canada has declared the Proud Boys group as a terrorist group for the US Capitol's insurrection 6 January. The extremist group, an ardent supporter of Trump and Trump's policies, has been scrutinized for their actions at the Capitol Hill and Canada is the first country to label them as a terrorist entity. Canadian Public Safety Minister said, "their intent and escalation toward violence became quite clear". In response, the chairman of the Proud Boys claimed that there were approximately 1500 proud boys in Canada and that a terrorist entity's designation is ridiculous.

About the authors

D Suba Chandran is Professor and Dean in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at NIAS; Teshu Singh is a Research Fellow with the Vivekananda International Foundation; Sourina Bej is a researcher with the Global Politics team at NIAS; and Avishka Ashok is Research Assistant, in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at NIAS.