Biden’s world outlook is a plus

US President Joe Biden may have exaggerated a little when, in his first major foreign policy address, he spoke of the urgent need for the US to “rebuild the muscles of democratic alliances that have atrophied from four years of neglect and abuse”. In doing so, however, he emphasised a significantly changed approach to US leadership under his presidency that is a sharp contrast with Donald Trump’s turbulent America First isolationism, which put even some allies offside. “America is back,” Mr Biden declared, pledging a return to the traditional conduct of US diplomacy rather than the disruption and contradiction that was often a feature of Mr Trump’s presidency. “We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again, not to meet yesterday’s challenges but today’s and tomorrow’s,’’ Mr Biden said. “We can’t do it alone.”

After his telephone call with Scott Morrison on Thursday, Mr Biden mentioned Australia as one of the international allies his administration would seek to work with even more closely: “Over the past two weeks I’ve spoken with the leaders of many of our closest friends — Canada, Mexico, the UK, Germany, France, NATO, Japan, South Korea and Australia — to begin re-forming the habits of co-operation and rebuilding the muscles of democratic alliances that have atrophied from four years of neglect and abuse.” Such alliances “are our greatest asset”.

The US, he pledged, would “confront China’s economic abuses, counter its aggressive action, (and) push back on China’s attack on human rights, intellectual property and global governance”. He was “ready to work with Beijing when it’s in America’s interests to do so”.

Mr Biden’s stance on Russia was similarly forthright, in sharp contrast to Mr Trump’s constant references to Russian despot Vladimir Putin as his “friend” and the former president’s reluctance to speak out over Russian human rights abuses. Mr Biden condemned Russian attempts to “damage and disrupt our democracy”, adding that in a telephone call with Mr Putin he had demanded the release of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. “I made it clear to President Putin, in a manner very different to my predecessor, that the days of the US rolling over in the face of Russia’s aggressive actions — interfering in our elections, cyber attacks, poisoning its citizens — are over.”

Mr Biden also demanded that the military junta in Myanmar relinquish power and accept the result of November’s election, which was won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi. Referencing Mr Trump’s unwillingness to accept his defeat in the US election, Mr Biden said, pointedly: “There can be no doubt: in a democracy, force should never seek to overrule the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election.”

Mr Biden also announced significant changes in key areas of US foreign policy, including an immediate end to US support for Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the civil war against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, in which 110,000 civilians have been killed. He also reversed Mr Trump’s incomprehensible decision to withdraw 12,000 US troops from Germany, and indicated that he would be likely to reverse the former president’s similarly puzzling decision to pull all remaining US forces out of Afghanistan by May. That move, were it to go ahead, would lead to an immediate Taliban takeover, analysts agree.

Mr Trump and secretary of state Mike Pompeo achieved remarkable successes, particularly in the Middle East. The fact Israel now has diplomatic relations with significant Arab states is an important lasting achievement. After an initial spat with Malcolm Turnbull, Mr Trump also did much to foster the alliance with Australia. Mr Biden, as he indicated to Mr Morrison, is no less committed to it. For Australia, there are promising signs in Mr Biden’s strong commitment to the US’s longstanding alliances and multilateralism. His determination to be firm with China and Russia and his support for human rights around the world are also vital.