Joe Biden not wanting to say publicly what he said on a ‘hot mic’ shows weakness

The Quad leaders didn’t mention China once by name in their 6000-word “Wilmington Declaration”, just noting “our serious concern about the militarisation of disputed features” and “intimidating manoeuvres in the South China Sea”.

The free world is in strife if Joe Biden tells the frightening truth about China to a lame-ducks’ summit that includes our Prime Minister, and is “embarrassed” when we hear it, too.

The US President had what’s reported as an “embarrassing hot mic moment” at the weekend’s Quad summit, telling his three fellow leaders China “continued to behave aggressively, testing us all across the region”.

Actually, the most embarrassing thing was the meeting’s guest list.

There was Biden, doddery and months from being replaced; Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, stepping down after a corruption scandal; and our own Anthony Albanese, now in danger of losing the next election, just months away.

US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Quadrilateral Summit. Picture: Brendan Smialowski

The only strong leader there was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but he seems more interested in cutting deals with China and Russia than in defending democracy.

That said, Biden did at least tell them on a hot mic on a camera feed what none wanted to say publicly – certainly not Albanese.

China was a threat as President Xi Jinping wanted to “aggressively pursue China’s interest”.

That’s not what Biden’s national security adviser wanted known about this summit.

He’d told media it was “not directed at another country”.

And the Quad leaders didn’t mention China once by name in their 6000-word “Wilmington Declaration” later, just noting “our serious concern about the militarisation of disputed features” and “intimidating manoeuvres in the South China Sea”.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the only strong leader at the summit. Picture: Brendan Smialowski

Hint hint: by China.

Biden not wanting to say this publicly shows weakness.

It’s not as if it’s a secret, anyhow.

China sends jets almost daily into Taiwan’s air identification zone.

In recent weeks it sent an aircraft carrier briefly into Japan’s contiguous waters.

Its navy has rammed Philippines ships, and its air force this month released a video of one of its jets dropping aluminium chaff in front of an Australian surveillance plane, the Chinese pilot declaring us “the enemy”.

So why the silence?

Unless voters know the danger from China, how can they support the sacrifices to defend ourselves?

Our government seems to figure there are no votes in spending hundreds of billions of dollars to make our defence force a credible deterrent, but there never will be unless voters are told the China threat.

That’s why it’s “embarrassing” when we hear that’s exactly how our leaders see it.

You might demand they act.