Biden’s National Security Strategy Focuses on China, Russia and Democracy at Home
New York TimesDec 23, 2022
The Facts
On Wednesday, the Biden administration released its new national security strategy - it focuses on Beijing and Moscow as the two major threats the US faces in the world and emphasizes America's goal to pursue a "free, open, prosperous, and secure world."
The new assessment claims that China and Russia pose different challenges despite being "increasingly aligned with each other." It details that the US will, "prioritize maintaining an enduring competitive edge over the PRC while constraining a still profoundly dangerous Russia.”
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
The goals laid out in the Biden administration's first national security strategy harken to the dark days of the Cold War and will eventually bring instability and conflicts across the world, through their binary opposition mindset and zero-sum thinking. Despite claiming to seek diplomacy over aggression, Wednesday's announcement indicates that the US seeks to launch geopolitical competition against other countries.
Pro-establishment narrative
The US must be honest about the threat China and Russia pose to global stability. The US is still willing to work with China when the countries’ values align, but as long as the nation continues to expand its military, the US must be prepared to defend liberal and democratic values. Moscow's hostility and recent military aggression demonstrate it poses a threat, and it's important that the US fortifies NATO's eastern flank and builds energy resiliency at home and among allies.
