As US President Joe Biden takes the helm, he will need to reckon with a very different China than the country he dealt with as vice-president more than four years ago.
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. and Kamala Devi Harris took the oath of office at a Capitol still reeling from the attack of a violent mob at a time when a deadly pandemic is still ravaging the country.
President Moon Jae-in replaced key members of his cabinet and aides at the Blue House. The reshuffle, particularly of key members handling foreign affairs and national security, is part of the Moon administration’s preparation to deal with the new U.S. administration, particularly on North Korea issues.
Beijing announced sanctions on nearly every Trump administration official who worked on China policy. The announcement on the heels of Biden’s inauguration could be an attempt to gauge the new administration’s positions.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will urge President Joe Biden to keep the U.S. committed to a “free and open Indo-Pacific region,” seeking to curb China’s growing influence in the region and advance an international order based on the rule of law.
As India prepares to receive the first batch of S-400 long-range air defense system by year-end, the first group of Indian military specialists are scheduled to depart for Moscow soon to undergo training courses on the S-400.