Incoming US NSA Signals Continuation of Biden Policies, Hails India as Critical Partner

Waltz would assume the position of National Security Advisor to Donald Trump when he is inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on January 20.

Incoming national security advisor Mike Waltz has stated that the Trump administration will pursue several aspects of Joe Biden's policies, particularly on China and India, which he described as a critical partner for the US in the future.

Waltz would assume the position of National Security Advisor to Donald Trump when he is inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on January 20.

Advertisement

Waltz appeared at the US Institute of Peace (USIP) and identified China as the "greatest adversary" of the United States and India as a critical partner of the US in the future.

"The President-elect firmly believes we can avoid conflict with the Chinese Communist Party because they need our markets. We are going to use the leverage in a way that's in line that we have that's in line with our national security while we still can," Waltz said at the panel discussion with the outgoing NSA Jake Sullivan.

Advertisement

Waltz was quick to point out to the moderator Stephen J Hadley, former national security advisor that he was also the Republican chair of the US-India Caucus in the last Congress.

Sullivan, who has just returned from India last week, said the audience that Waltz is highly popular in India.

Advertisement

"I was just in India last week. They love you there as a co-chair of the India Caucus. They love the India Caucus, so they're excited to have you come on board. I told them I could be the chair of the India Spouses Caucus in Congress going forward. They were a little less than that, but we'll do our best," Sullivan said jokingly.

AUKUS and the Quad are areas that have continued from one administration to another, Waltz said.
Aukus is a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States intended to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Advertisement

The Quad is a multilateral framework consisting of India, Australia, Japan, and the US, which shares a commitment to maintaining a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, at a time when China's aggressive behavior in the strategically crucial South China Sea is on the rise.

Waltz also said that the new administration would ensure that the USD 20 billion backlog of US weapons for Taiwan would be delivered "as a deterrent measure".

Advertisement

"Then thirdly, really to continue to reinforce those partnerships and those alliances where I certainly give this administration some credit is the trilateral dialogue between South Korea, the United States, and Japan and then also between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines, really helping those countries and those governments overcome historic animosities with a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific," he said.

"I think all of those things will continue, and then if I didn't mention India, I will again as a critical partnership in the future," Waltz said in response to a question.

Advertisement

Sullivan agreed with his successor.

I agree with basically everything Mike just laid out. I would say a good China strategy is a good Asia strategy, and that means building on the work that we have done with respect to our allies and partners, some of which was work that we inherited and built upon. I think there is continuity in that regard," he said.

Advertisement

"A good China strategy, though, is also a good allies strategy writ large, and I think Europe is important in this regard, making sure that the United States is deeply engaged with Europeans working on convergence on pushing back against unfair Chinese economic practices on the supply chain resilience piece and so much else," he said.

"Then there's the question of technology. Here we need to both promote and protect. We need to make investments domestically to keep our lead in the key technologies that will define the future. Here the science part of the CHIPS and Science Act has never been fully funded," he said.

Advertisement

"America at its best over the decades has been an America that spends the dollars on basic research and development to power the innovations that shape the future. And then there's the protect side. We've taken a number of steps to ensure that our high technologies that have national security applications can't be used against us or our friends by China," he added.

China is facing some stiff headwinds, according to Sullivan.

Read also| Trump Takes Credit for Gaza Ceasefire Deal, Citing 'Historic Victory'

Advertisement

Read also| Israel and Hamas Agree to Ceasefire and Hostage Deal, Confirms Biden

Advertisement

Advertisement