Coronavirus: Biden ‘could be key Covid ally’

Australia’s ambassador in the US says the Biden administration can win hearts and minds around the world by facilitating access to COVID-19 vac­cines.

Arthur Sinodinos, Australia’s ambassador in Washington DC. Picture: Supplied

Australia’s ambassador in Washington DC says the Biden administration can win hearts and minds around the world by facilitating access to COVID-19 vac­cines because people were more likely to remember how the pandemic ended.

Arthur Sinodinos, speaking ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden as president on Thursday Australian time, said Australia was well-placed to influence US foreign policy in the Asian region.

He also played down prospects Australia would be isolated on climate change policy under a Biden administration.

Mr Sinodinos said he was very keen to work on “vaccine diplomacy” with the incoming administration. “The US has an important role to play to facilitate global distribution; this is a great way for the US to display soft power, the power of its example.

“People are more likely to remember how the pandemic ended more than how it began, as is human nature.”

Governments have scrambled to obtain vaccines for COVID-19 as concerns emerge about effectiveness and possible side-effects.

Mr Sinodinos said there was a lot of good will with the incoming administration. “We haven’t spoken to them officially but our philosophy with the new team is to try to shape their strategy towards our region.

“They have reflected on the last four years and seen how things have changed, reflected on what was right and what was wrong, reflected on China.”

Mr Sinodinos, who replaced Joe Hockey as ambassador in February last year, echoed the expectations of foreign policy experts that a Biden administration would work more closely with Australia. “The president-elect has said a lot about working closer with allies. We’re both interested in global-rules-based order.

“People like Kurt Campbell are pretty clear about the nature of the competition with China that’s going on,” Mr Sinodinos said.

Mr Biden flagged he would appoint foreign policy veteran Dr Campbell as his “Asia tsar” last week in a sign the Democratic administration will maintain Donald Trump’s tough line on China and remain a close ally of Australia.

Dr Campbell, who was the top State Department official for Asia during the Obama administration, will have the title “Indo-­Pacific co-ordinator”, giving him top standing in the US National Security Council for US foreign policy relating to Asia and China.

Mr Biden has promised to reverse President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Paris climate change agreement, and is expected as president to promise the US will achieve net zero emissions by 2050 — a promise the Coalition has resisted in Australia.

“We see lots of opportunities to work with the US on climate change — when you look at Biden’s proposal to invest in clean energy, it’s similar to our low emissions road map,” Mr Sino­dinos said.

“In domestic terms, they face the same challenges we face, when it comes to engineering a transition.”

Mr Sinodinos didn’t expect the Biden presidency to pursue a radical agenda, even if the incoming president’s party had won a surprise majority in the Senate after the Georgia run-off race.

“It suits Biden to have a moderate centrist administration,” he said. “Having control of the Senate does give him the opportunity to do more than Democrats were expecting a few weeks ago. And a lot of Republicans in the Senate, as a result of what’s happened here recently, will want to strike a different tone.”