Opinion

How Biden’s foreign and trade policy flip-flops are confusing US allies

Statements on Taiwan, the US-China relationship and trade in the Indo-Pacific are creating confusion and mistrust

Biden needs a decisive strategy to keep his allies and supporters on board, something he could learn from Kissinger and other political realists

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Christopher Tang is university distinguished professor and Edward Carter professor of business administration at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Published: 5:30am, 9 Dec 2023Updated: 6:20am, 9 Dec 2023

US President Joe Biden faces many international challenges, such as reducing US dependence on China, managing South China Sea disputes, supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and the backlash over his stance on Israel. These issues are reminiscent of America’s geopolitical dilemmas during the Cold War, when Henry Kissinger was a key figure in shaping diplomatic and strategic relations.

Can Biden learn from Kissinger’s approach? The answer depends on what kind of legacy Biden wants. His foreign policies seem to lack coherence and direction, and he needs to articulate a clear and consistent strategy to the world.

History is the ultimate judge of political leaders, and Kissinger is no different. Immediately after the death of the former US secretary of state at 100, he was hailed in the press as a brilliant statesman and also condemned as a shameless war criminal, loathed and loved, reviled and revered.

Kissinger is widely regarded as a realist in international relations, influenced by thinkers such as Thucydides and Machiavelli. Realism is a theoretical framework that emphasises the absence of a central authority above the state and the constraints of politics imposed by national interest.