Leon Panetta: Biden 'sending an important message to the world that the United States is back'
Communicating with China will be 'key' to resolving differences, former defense secretary says
President Biden devoted his first moments in office to rejoining multinational efforts like the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization (WHO), moves former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said were a great first step.
“It’s an important message to the world that the United States is back,” he told FOX Business' “Cavuto: Coast to Coast” Thursday. “The key in a global world is not to run away from a global world, it’s to engage with a global world.
“Whether it’s trade, whether it’s security, whether it’s finances, that’s the reality of the kind of world we live in,” he continued. “And I’m glad to see we’re back to that."
Panetta said he believes in America exercising world leadership, recalling that the U.S. was able to achieve “greater peace and prosperity" at the head of the democratic alliance following World War II.
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U.S.-China relations have been on the rocks since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, but now the Chinese government is reportedly pleased that Biden is taking over. Panetta said he’s not worried about how the new president will handle Beijing.
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“Joe Biden recognizes the threats from China like we all do,” he said. “China is being aggressive ...But at the same time, they’re a country that we need to have a dialogue with; we need to communicate with. Because I think that’s going to be the key to resolving some of our differences.”
Panetta added Biden must show strength in order to maintain global leadership and military presence in the Pacific.
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“You’ve got to be able to negotiate but negotiate from strength… I think he will send a message that 'Yes, we’ll talk to you but we’ll only talk to you because we have deployed our strength to the Pacific.'"