PANAMA

Secretary Pompeo met with Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and Vice President and Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado in Panama City October 18 to discuss the U.S.-Panama partnership on bilateral and regional security and economic issues.

In response to traveling press inquiries about Chinese economic activity in Panama, the Secretary said: “…the importance isn’t that China is out competing in the world. We welcome that. It’s when the state-owned enterprises show up in a way that is clearly not transparent, clearly not market-driven, and is designed not to benefit the people of Panama but rather to benefit the Chinese Government. Those are the kind of things we think are both inappropriate and not good for the people of Panama or any other country where China is engaged in this kind of predatory economic activity.”

In an interview with Sabrina Bacal of TVN about Panama, the Secretary stated: “…it’s simply the case that in parts of the world China has invested in ways that have left countries worse off, and that should never be the case. Anytime there is investment that comes from outside of a country, it certainly should be a good investment for the investor, but it has to be something that’s good for the country that hosts that investment and well – as well. And we just want to make sure that when China invests, wherever it chooses, that it does so in a way that benefits the people of the country in which that investment is made.”

HOLDING NATIONS ACCOUNTABLE

After eight years of the Obama Administration the U.S. is once again holding other nations accountable for their behavior. The questions, at first, were “Can Washington be believed? And, will the new Trump Administration follow through on its statements?” In 2017 the Trump Administration’s foreign policy experts at the State Department were unsure if Washington ever would be taken at its word again. However, recent actions by foreign governments appear to indicate that the United States has been able to move its agenda forward. President Trump is holding firm on important policy decisions across the globe and foreign governments are coming to terms with the new Administration’s resolve. Secretary Pompeo has played an increasingly public and active role in formulating and executing American foreign policy.

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Today European nations are paying more toward their fair share of NATO’s budget. China’s President Xi Jinping is “coming to the table.” He is scheduled to meet with Secretary Pompeo to discuss US economic sanctions. China is experiencing domestic economic dislocation resulting from Washington’s willingness to make a long-term commitment on its demand for trade reform. Today, Iran is experiencing domestic unrest across the country by its citizenry who are learning the truth about their country’s leadership. The US imposed trade sanctions Iran due to its worldwide support for terrorism and it is having an impact. At the same time, however, Iran continues its belligerent behavior by shipping weapons outside its country fomenting unrest throughout the Middle East. The job of Secretary Pompeo is a tough one. The U.S. faces multiple challenges around the world, many of which are interconnected and complex.

MEXICO

In response to statements made by President Trump concerning a caravan of illegal immigrants heading north into Mexico, the Mexican government issued a statement that they will seek cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to address immigration issues in the region, including the influx of people arriving in Mexico. Two jet planes filled with Mexican border agents was flown to the country’s southern border to address the issue.

President Trump explicitly stated that any nation assisting the caravan traveling to the U.S. border would lose 100% of its foreign aid. Unlike the previous Administration which flew illegal aliens into and around the United States, the Trump Administration has tightened the border and refused to take in and support illegal aliens. Today, the U.S. Government is believed and the Mexican government is taking action.

DARIA NOVAK served in the United States State Department during the Reagan Administration, and currently is on the Board of the American Analysis of News and Media, which publishes usagovpolicy.com and the New York Analysis of Policy and Government. Each Saturday, she presents key updates on U.S. foreign policy from the State Department.

Illustration: Pixabay

Quick Analysis

Alienating Allies

President Biden has called two key U.S. allies, India and Japan, “xenophobic.” As noted in a Hill report “Biden grouped Japan and India alongside China and Russia as ‘xenophobic countries,’ claiming being less open to immigrants has caused the countries’ economies to struggle since the COVID-19 pandemic.” The comment comes at a time when both of those nations are essential to American goals in the Indo-Pacific, including countering China’s massive arms buildup, North Korea’s growing nuclear prowess, and Russia’s increased presence in the region. China now has a larger fleet than the United States, and has powerful assistance from Russia. The U.S. State Department warns that “Across much of the Indo-Pacific region, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using military and economic coercion to bully its neighbors, advance unlawful maritime claims, threaten maritime shipping lanes, and destabilize territory along the periphery of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This predatory conduct increases the risk of miscalculation and conflict.” Alexey Muraviev, writing for the Asia Times notes that “China is not the only potentially adversarial maritime power that is flexing its muscles in the Indo-Pacific region. Russia is becoming a cause for concern, too, even though the 2023 strategic review did not mention it….Between 2022 and October 2023, for instance, it commissioned eight new warships and auxiliaries, including four nuclear-powered and conventional submarines. On December 11, two new nuclear-powered submarines formally joined the fleet, in addition to the conventional RFS Mozhaisk submarine, which entered service last month.” Biden making a comment that directly and clearly harms both U.S. interests and those of key allies is hardly surprising, as evidenced by his bizarre actions regarding Israel. The Department of Defense states that “ Japan is growing and taking leadership roles that not only benefit people in the Indo-Pacific, but the global community, said Grace Park, the director for Japan policy at the Defense Department’s Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Office said… Japan, the fourth largest economy in the world, has taken a greater security role in the past decade, Park said. Japanese leaders are reorganizing the self-defense forces in the country, fielding new military capabilities, increasing the amount spent on self-defense and more. “I believe that the United States has gained a lot from this alliance relationship,” she said. It will soon play an even more significant role. The Department of Defense reports that “The U.S., Australia and the United Kingdom, members of the AUKUS partnership, are considering cooperation with Japan on advanced capabilities projects. …Japan was considered because of its strengths and its close defense partnership with all three countries, said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, who held a press conference today. Japan is playing a larger role in other essential American alliances, as well. As reported in the American Military News, “The Philippines and the United States are considering the expansion of their annual “Balikatan” (shoulder-to-shoulder) military exercises carried out under the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States, to include Japan. As this column has previously reported, India’s population, military strength, and strategic geographical location render it one of the world’s most important nations. The Pentagon notes that “Over the past decade, the U.S.-India defense relationship has become indispensable in promoting peace, prosperity and stability in the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region.” Since the start of his Administration, President Biden has consistently engaged in policies and actions that have emboldened America’s adversaries and alienating and worried allies. The consistency of his inexplicable course of action is now clear, and the U.S. citizenry deserves an immediate explanation. The highly partisan U.S. media has, until the current holdup of aid to Israel, turned a blind eye to Biden’s destructive foreign policies, allowing him to progress from one disaster to another. Illustration: Pixabay