In the wake of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s major military parade reception of Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un and a host of other world leaders last week, high-level former U.S. officials argue the U.S. must move quickly to reengage with the Indo-Pacific via top-level visits and diplomatic engagement, while also addressing concerns among U.S. security allies over tariffs and “America First” rhetoric.
Daniel J. Kritenbrink, a top State Department official in the former Biden administration, says China used the parade to try and “buttress its legitimacy” as a responsible actor, a “defender of the multilateral system and the Global South.” Retired U.S. Navy Adm. Harry Harris says it’s “ironic that China wants to appear as defender of the world order” because “it ignores international laws.” He cited Beijing’s coercive actions and territory grabs in the South and East China Seas.
Those actions might be expected to drive some capital into U.S. arms. However, “America First” rhetoric has shaken some allies, who question U.S. commitment to their respective regions and alliances. “There is a false narrative that says ‘America First’ means ‘America Alone,’” says Mr. Harris, who formerly led the Pentagon’s Indo-Pacific Command and was subsequently U.S. ambassador to Seoul. “This false narrative has the possibility of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy if we don’t put ambassadors in place and engage with other nations at the leader level.”
Mr. Trump has not yet appointed ambassadors to Seoul or Sydney, nor has he met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
