US President Joe Biden announced his cabinet picks. Antony Blinken was nominated for the most concerned job of secretary of state. He will be rebuilding the International Democrat Union (IDU) led by the US against China. The European Union (EU) is positive about Biden's new alliance, which is not good for China.
Blinken and Biden worked together for a long time in the past. When Biden was Obama's Vice President, Blinken was the Secretary of State who fully understood Obama's diplomacy including the Return to the Asia-Pacific strategy to contain China. He can help Biden quickly re-establish Obama's diplomacy. Moreover, Blinken is from the hawkish faction within the Democratic Party. Although he believes that President Donald Trump's attempt to decouple with China was impractical, he stressed that China is the biggest challenge in economy, technology, military and diplomacy.
He takes a firm stance on human rights and democracy issues. He once said that Biden had to sanction Hong Kong for the "Hong Kong National Security Law". He also said the US should maintain close economic relations with Taiwan to highlight democratic values. So, he will not be irresolute when playing the Hong Kong and Taiwan cards.
His most important job is to implement Biden's strategy of establishing the IDU to contain China. Blinken has said that the US must re-establish alliances with other countries to reverse the hostility in Trump's era. The EU is expected to be his main target, followed by emerging Indo-Pacific and African nations.
The British Financial Times also reported that the EU is ready to forge a fresh alliance with the US to cooperate in aspects such as dot-com industry regulation and pandemic control while facing the China challenge together including 5G network safety and China's acquisition of dot-com enterprises.
China thus has to compete for allies with Biden, especially in the peripheral Asia-Pacific region. President Xi Jinping said that he is considering joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).