 |
| Joe Biden, the vice president of the US, gives the State of the Union address. |
WASHINGTON —
U.S. President Joe Biden will deliver his annual State of the Union address to the new Congress on Tuesday night (February 7), U.S. time, in which he is expected to address the growing pressure the U.S. is facing from China.
Last week, a Chinese reconnaissance balloon blatantly flew over the continental United States, drawing great attention from both parties, public opinion, and people in the United States. Although the balloon was eventually successfully shot down, the discussion surrounding whether the Biden administration handled the incident in a timely and forceful manner has not disappeared, which has also put President Biden himself under pressure. Some analysts believe that President Biden's speech may be revised due to the incident.
The State of the Union address usually focuses on U.S. domestic policy and issues of greatest concern to the American people. Speeches typically showcase the domestic achievements of the executive branch under the president's leadership, highlight issues important to voters, and outline a vision for the country to win popular support and Congressional support.
President Biden had planned to focus on his economic achievements in this year's State of the Union address. This includes U.S. unemployment at a 53-year low, manufacturing jobs returning, gasoline prices falling sharply, and inflation easing. The $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed in 2021 came into effect. Last year, two important pieces of legislation supported by President Biden—the Chips and Science Act and the Lower Inflation Act—both passed. Three years into the coronavirus pandemic, life has largely returned to normal for most Americans.
State of the Union speech forced to change direction by balloon incident?
But the sudden arrival of the Chinese spy balloon will force President Biden to spend more time in his speech explaining his China policy.
Zack Cooper (Zack Cooper), a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), told VOA that the balloon incident will put the Biden administration under pressure from the Republican Party. "Republicans will want hearings on this, including why the administration has not publicly commented on previous balloon events," he said.
Timothy Heath, a senior researcher at the RAND Corporation, believes that in view of the impact of the balloon incident on domestic politics in the United States, Biden is expected to respond with stronger rhetoric on China. Hawks in the Republican-controlled House.
He said in an email to Voice of America: "The State of the Union speech is very political, so Biden will have to appear tough on the China issue. competitive intent."
A Feb. 6 blog post by James Lindsay, senior vice president of the Council on Foreign Relations, on the agency's website, also predicted Biden's tough stance in the State of the Union address. He said that an appropriate response to provocation may be to use Sidewinder air-to-air missiles to blow up (Chinese) balloons. But with both Democrats and Republicans demanding the administration get tough on China, the political temptation will be fierce. Tap the table.
It was initially a spy. The balloon, which was now being used as a test balloon, put President Biden's tenacity and resolve to the test. Unfortunately, the President failed that test."
White House Press Secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said that after the shooting down of the Chinese surveillance balloon, the United States will continue to maintain communication channels with China, and what kind of US-China relationship Beijing wants depends on China.
At the regular press conference of the White House on Monday, a reporter asked, what does the White House think the next step will be for the US-China relationship after the incident of a balloon flying over the US last week? Jean-Pierre replied: We will continue to be calm, resolute and pragmatic. This will not change our future approach to relations with China and our diplomatic dialogue as we come out of this matter. The President has always made it clear that we have always And will continue to keep the channels of communication open with China.
She was reluctant to disclose in advance the extent to which Biden will talk about the balloon incident and U.S.-China relations in the State of the Union address, but she said: The topic of such speeches has always included foreign policy.
Biden expected to emphasize working with allies to counter China
Washington and Beijing had intended to ease strained bilateral relations. U.S. Secretary of State Blinken would have been the first highest-ranking U.S. official to visit China in four years. His visit is a follow-up to the meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali, Indonesia, last November. nervous.
But Blinken's trip has been postponed indefinitely because of the Chinese spy balloon incident. Republican members of Congress are now demanding that the Biden administration take more aggressive measures against China.
Now, Beijing is in turn accusing Washington of failing to maintain calm as the crisis unfolded. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a regular press conference on Monday (February 6), "The airship strayed into the U.S. airspace was completely accidental, but it is a test of the U.S. commitment to stabilizing and improving Sino-U.S. relations." Sincerity and how to handle the crisis.” China insists that the Chinese balloon that appeared in U.S. airspace is a civilian airship engaged in scientific research activities such as meteorology.
Patrick Cronin, director of Asia-Pacific security studies at the Hudson Institute, told VOA that President Biden can and should point to his policies that are strengthening ties with allies and partners and improving U.S. Regional power posture and influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
"The president should make clear in his State of the Union address that he is pursuing a strong policy of strengthening the security of the United States and its allies," he said in an email to VOA. In contrast to words, don't employ adjectives; instead, let the facts speak for themselves in his observations about China.
Cooper of the American Enterprise Institute also believes that President Biden will mention in his speech that the United States has strengthened its relationship with its allies to strengthen its deterrence against China. "I wouldn't be surprised if Biden also brings up some of the things the administration is doing to strengthen deterrence, including recent statements with Japan and the Philippines, and potential announcements with Australia and others," he said.
Biden will reiterate aid to Ukraine, warn Beijing not to covertly aid Russia
On foreign policy, President Biden is also expected to mention U.S. aid in Ukraine's war against Russian aggression in his State of the Union address. The Wall Street Journal reported that Biden is expected to reiterate that the U.S. will continue to aid Ukraine until victory in the war is achieved. Some Republicans oppose continued aid to Ukraine. But polls show that nearly a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, 51 percent of Americans think U.S. aid to Ukraine is "almost" or "not enough," more than double the percentage who say too much.
The Wall Street Journal recently concluded, based on an analysis of Russian customs data, that Chinese state-owned defense companies are supplying the Russian military with the technology it needs to attack Ukraine, including shipping navigation equipment, jamming technology and fighter jets to sanctioned Russian defense companies. part.
President Biden may also use his State of the Union address to warn Beijing not to covertly support Russian President Vladimir Putin's war of aggression. This was originally one of the topics discussed with Chinese officials when Blinken planned to visit Beijing.
0 Comments