Biden Sidelined as China Leads Major World Summit
Biden Sidelined as China Leads Major World Summit
"The Biden administration could have done more to develop a strategic economic relationship with LatAm," said AS/COA's Eric Farnsworth to The Telegraph.
Joe Biden appeared on the periphery of a “family photo” of world leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (Apec) dominated by the rise of China.
Xi Jinping stood centre stage in the picture with Dina Boluarte, leader of the host nation Peru, which had rolled out the red carpet for the Chinese president.
Although photo calls can be arbitrary in the positioning, the image appeared to sum up Mr Biden’s ebbing power in a region once considered “America’s backyard”.
This year’s Apec summit was undeniably all about China and Mr Xi, with Mr Biden’s presence – his first visit to South America as president – very much feeling like an afterthought. [...]
Eric Farnsworth, vice-president of the Council of the Americas, a Washington DC-based thinktank, says most Latin American nations, with the exception of leftist dictatorships such as Venezuela and Nicaragua, would welcome stronger ties with the US.
“Hindsight is 20-20 but it really does seem that the Biden administration could have done more to develop a strategic economic relationship with Latin America, particularly in the context of infrastructure,” Mr Farnsworth adds.
“One of the real advantages that China has developed with South America in particular is not just trade but also development in infrastructure, roads, ports, bridges, the types of things that make economies work but also, frankly, have prestige for the countries that provide them.” China’s foreign policy often comes without strings, whereas American relations can depend on partners adhering to Western democratic and economic norms.
