Jan 17, 2021
WASHINGTON/LONDON – America’s relationships with its core democratic partners are set to rebound dramatically after President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Allies in Europe and Asia relish the prospect of an American president committed to adhere to democratic traditions at home, honor strategic commitments abroad and be a team player.
Solidarity among the world’s democracies is especially important when it comes to standing up to China. But the European Union’s decision recently to sign an investment accord with that country underscores the potential for serious discord. Even though the Biden camp cautioned the EU against moving ahead with the agreement, it nonetheless sealed the deal.
- Charles Kupchan, a member of the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama, is Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the author of “Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself from the World.” - Peter Trubowitz, Professor of International