Biden administration can still choose to set better example: China Daily editorial

Friday marks the 100th day since US President Joe Biden took office on Jan 20, which offers the opportunity to review what kind of "America is back" under his administration.

In the United States, the first 100 days in office are thought to be a critical time for a new administration to create a positive impression and lay a meaningful foundation for its policy agenda. If that is indeed the case, then in terms of foreign relations, the Biden administration seems little more than a suaver and savvier version of its predecessor.

His administration appears to be upholding the banner of multilateralism. But in doing so, it is not working with other countries to resolve the global challenges, but rather seeking to shake off the bad name the previous administration had given the US and reconnect with the US allies which its predecessor had estranged.

Once that is done, Biden hopes to secure for the US the driving seat in world affairs again. Reviving soured alliances is just the first step for him to carry out the aims of his administration, which are essentially no different from those of the Donald Trump administration.

In the face of the rising competition from emerging markets and the calls of developing countries for a fairer international governance system, Biden is seeking to do what his predecessor sought to do, which is to bend the international system to serve the US hegemony.

Despite sounding different, the Biden administration and its predecessor are birds of a feather. The only difference is, while Trump wanted the US to go it alone, Biden wants the US allies to help.

In other words, how the Biden administration has been dealing with its allies only shows how earnestly it wants to make them pawns in its games, and how it has approached non-allies such as Russia and China only exposes the extent to which it is willing to sacrifice the interests of its allies and the collective interests of the world for the US' narrow ends.

Its recent expulsion of Russian diplomats and sanctions on Russian individuals and companies, for what it claims was Moscow's interference in last year's presidential election and the hacking of federal agencies, has driven home what era America thinks it is back to today.

The comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era between China and Russia, and the help they are extending to other countries during the pandemic, are in sharp contrast to the self-absorbed antics of the US.

In his election campaign and presidential inauguration speech, Biden repeatedly said that the US should not lead by "the example of our power", but by "the power of our example". But if the first 100 days are any guide, it is the former that his administration believes in.