Competition In The Global South: US’ Plan

In a conference on Wednesday, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Daniel J. Kritenbrink, said that Washington’s strategy is to invest in US strength and align more closely with allies and partners.

US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Daniel J. Kritenbrink (Photo: Google)

China in the Global South

Kritenbrink warned hat China is advancing an alternative vision for global governance, departure from many principles that lit at the heart of the international system. He said that there are Chinese projects in other countries that harm the environment or come with unsustainable debt, reported by the Atlantic Council.

According to Kritenbrink, China intends to “reshape the international order” and increasingly acquire the “economic, diplomatic, and technological capacity to do it” while benefitting the from the stability and opportunity that the international order provides. He warned that China is becoming more “repressive at home” but also “more aggressive abroad”.

Nonetheless, Kritenbrink clarified that the US is “always willing to work with China” despite the intensity of the competition in the global south.

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“US to offer better value proposition to developing countries” – Kritenbrink

Kritenbrink explained that the US is competing with China to offer a better value proposition to developing countries. According to him, the US doesn’t want countries have to choose between US and China but to help ensure that these countries have a choice and can make their decisions free from coercion.

In a report published by the Atlantic Council, according to Kritenbrink, the US sees its allies and partners as its “unique comparative advantage”. The US is working with its partners to understand their top needs and priorities then working together to address them. He argued that the US is delivered on its promises by making sure that countries “have a seat at the table”.

In Kritenbrink’s speech, the US isn’t looking at the world solely through the lens of “future of the international order”. Washington’s mission is to create an open and free world where rules, norms and institutions “prevail” over any might-makes-right mentality. He echoed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, that Washington’s goal is “not just to preserve the international order” but to “modernize it,” ensuring that the United States equips countries to work together to address new global challenges.

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