TTT New Delhi – By Joe, India has already got the hiccups after Joseph Robinette Biden (Jr) became the 46th President of the United States of America.
New Delhi’s ‘inbox’ is already over spilling on whether or not America’s new – has it been decided once and for all yet? – president would go ahead and sign a much awaited trade deal.
As Indians known, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out the red carpet for Donald Trump when he visited at the beginning of the year; at the time both countries signed a number of deals on issues including defence and telecommunications.
Talks on the much touted trade deal, however, have repeatedly been bypassed by Trump – deliberately so it seems.
Biden is a more shrewd politician though, if one counts the almost four decades of experience he can claim.
His first few months in office, however, will be occupied in his tackling of the multi-dimensional priorities the U.S. faces, which include combatting the spread of the coronavirus, building a robust economy for the United States, and maintaining an organized dialogue with Asia-Pacific countries.
The chemistry between Indian Prime Minister Modi and the former President Trump will not be replayed political experts here in India feel, at the same time claiming that Biden is more ‘balanced’ and will use his experience and intellect while working to improve U.S. relations with other countries.
But in the same tone, they view Biden’s talk of a unified country as an emotional outburst which may possibly land him in hot water later.
Modi may be contemplating getting closer to Biden for better bilateral ties between the two countries, especially through his foreign minister S. Jaishanker, who was once India’s ambassador to the U.S., and is reported to be on friendly terms with incoming U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, a recent champion of her Indian roots.
Harris in her victory speech announced that America was a country of possibilities and emphasized that decency, hope and truth will prevail, suggesting indirectly no attempts at manipulation and double-speak by countries nursing grudges against the United States.
Jaishanker is thus likely to delay his move to rope her in, in a bid to pave the way for an amicable public handshake between Modi and Biden.
China will not have an easy time of it with the ‘new’ United States with Biden at the helm either.
U.S. animosity towards China, political analysts say, is at an all time high, with Biden himself seen as something of a messiah ready to confront China for having threatened his country’s economy, and having committed well documented acts of industrial espionage.
Americans are hoping for beneficial reforms under Biden’s regime, and his efforts to restructure America.
Senior journalist Rajesh Jha, told The Taiwan Times that the U.S. foreign policy will remain in a form of ‘status quo’ for now – even if the executives change.
He said, “Joe Biden is going to have a just view of Asia-Pacific and will, I am sure, be tough towards the misdemeanors of China in the region. Former President Trump did not stick to many of his commitments. You see, he talked about helping a few third world countries in maintaining the environmental imbalance but nothing came up. He used harsh words against China for concealing the spread of the coronavirus infection, but himself failed to contain the virus deaths in United States.
“That was the first sign of his impending Waterloo, that he never wanted to hear.”
Professor Ritu Prashar, a public relations consultant stated that Modi was a smart man and would keep Biden on his right (side). “Political diplomacy is everybody’s business,” she said and added that both countries are keen to fight terrorism which was now a global issue.
A man who has suffered a series of deeply personal crises, Biden knows the importance of life for every American, and yearns for a country of harmony and peace.
Hopefully this yearning now includes the rest of the world.
