The Guardian view on Biden’s UN speech: cooperation not competition | Editorial

The US president is right to say he does not want a cold war with China

“We’re not seeking – say it again, we are not seeking – a new cold war or a world divided into rigid blocs,” President Joe Biden told the United Nations general assembly on Tuesday. That is a relief. Washington’s undeclared opponent is, as almost all observers agree, Beijing. In his address, however, Mr Biden made it clear he is determined to ensure that the rise of China will not mean the decline of the US.

The US president said he was willing to “work together with our democratic partners” on breakthroughs in technology which can be “used to lift people up … and advance human freedom – not to suppress dissent or target minority communities”. This is admirable rhetoric, though some sceptics may spy the promotion of US national interests under the guise of a foreign policy that favours democracies. There are also dangers in an overly hawkish prosecution of this approach. Pushing Ukraine’s membership in Nato as a pro-democracy step may bring about a Russian military response. Taiwan’s democracy has to be defended without Washington being pulled into a confrontation with Beijing. The challenges of this era, such as the climate emergency, also require international cooperation to deliver global public goods and prevent beggar-thy-neighbour policies.

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22/09/2021 - www.theguardian.com

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Joe’s reality check: sure you’re World King, Boris – but only of England

Prime minister’s bluster meets real world as promised post-Brexit trade deal fails to materialise

When the highlight of your first trip to the US as prime minister is an awkward minute-long conversation with the president about a shared interest in trains, it’s probably fair to say that things haven’t gone quite as well as hoped. Boris Johnson may feel himself to be the unassailable world king in the UK, but on the other side of the Atlantic he’s pretty much a nobody.

The Americans could scarcely have made the prime minister feel less welcome if they’d tried. His lowest point had been the exchange of presents. He had given Joe Biden a book by the astronaut Tim Peake. Biden had clearly forgotten to get Boris anything because he fumbled around for a White House watch. Nothing quite says you really don’t give a damn than something rustled up at the last minute from the downstairs gift shop.

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22/09/2021 - www.theguardian.com

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Can Boris Johnson expect UK-US trade deal to go ahead?

His closeness to Trump has not helped and if agreement were struck by 2024 it would be considered rapid progress

Three reasons. First, Britain exports more to the US than to any other country. When added together, the countries of the European Union count for more, but almost 15% of the UK’s goods exports went to the US last year. The US is also the No 1 country for UK services exports.

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22/09/2021 - www.theguardian.com

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