CHINA
The US is deeply concerned about the rapid expansion of the China’s nuclear capabilities, including its development of novel delivery systems, according to Price. “These developments underscore that the PRC, as we’ve said before, is deviating from its decades-long nuclear strategy based on minimum deterrence,” he noted.
As of the end of September has launched at least 250 ballistic missiles this year. The latest test is of a hypersonic missile that circled the globe before landing near its target. Price said that “All of this is concerning, especially concerning, I should say, given the PRC’s lack of transparency into its evolving nuclear posture. And this nuclear buildup just, in our view, reinforces the importance of pursuing practical measures with the PRC to reduce nuclear risk.’ The Biden Administration has reached out to Beijing, he added, to make it clear Washington is interested in engaging with Beijing in the context of these powerful weapons and weapons systems.
HONG KONG
The United States remains seriously concerned at the continued erosion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including political participation, in Hong Kong. Recently, there has been an increase in politically-motivated prosecutions, including through the National Security Law, targeting Hong Kong’s teachers, labor unions, lawyers, journalists, health care workers, student unions, and individual citizens. Ned Price, Spokesman for the State Department stated that the is calling on the “Beijing and Hong Kong authorities to release those unjustly detained and cease their crackdown on peaceful civil society organizations.”
Hong Kong authorities continue to disqualify scores of pro-democracy district councilors, who received their public mandate from free and fair elections in 2019. He pointed out that these retroactive and targeted disqualifications, based on the Hong Kong authorities’ arbitrary determination that these district councilors’ loyalty oaths are invalid, prevent people in Hong Kong from participating meaningfully in their own governance. Chinese President Xi Jinping has increased its harsh treatment of Hong Kong amid increasing tensions across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea.
EUROPEAN UNION
Secretary of State Tony Blinken and High Representative Borrell of the EU recently met and agreed to further strengthen their joint engagement in the Western Balkans in support of the region’s progress on its European path. In a statement issued by the State Department this week, Blinken said “We underscore our full support for the EU’s enlargement process. EU accession, a stated priority for the whole Western Balkans, helps consolidate democratic institutions, protect fundamental rights, and advance the rule of law. This region belongs in the European Union.” From a US perspective, closer integration will enhance stability and contribute to prosperity for the people of the region. In contrast, Moscow sees this as further evidence of Western intrusion into its sphere of influence and an increase in, and direct threat to, its national security.
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Secretary Blinken traveled to Equador this past week to talk with its US partners about what the Biden Administration calls the listening tour of its “Build Back Better World Program” to make investments, particularly in climate-resilient infrastructure projects, with high environmental as well as labor standards. Blinken says “That’s going to create jobs, it’s going to support local communities, it’s going to make progress against the climate crisis – all at the same time.”
NORTH KOREA
The US is continuing to work toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. US Special Representative Kim emphasized Washington’s condemnation of the DPRK’s October 19 ballistic missile launch, which violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions, and called on the DPRK to refrain from further provocations and engage in sustained and substantive dialogue. Kim again expressed the United States’ support for providing humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable North Koreans.
IRAN
Frustration continues between reporters and the State Department. When questioned by a reporter at a press briefing this week about the status of the JCPOA, State Department Spokesman Price said the US is neither optimistic, nor pessimistic. To clarify the issue, he added: “We are taking into account precisely what we are hearing from the Iranians, what we are not hearing from the Iranians, what we are seeing from the Iranians, what we are not seeing from the Iranians.” Price added that the US is “in the midst of – in the midst of watching closely as the Iranians, it seems, form their own consensus as to what path they would like to choose.” Perhaps, this is as clear the Biden Administration can get?
Daria Novak served in the U.S. State Dept. during the Reagan Administration.