Ladies and gentlemen, let’s dive into some of the latest from President Joe Biden. At a NATO summit on Thursday, Biden reassured everyone that the United States is committed to standing up against Russian and Chinese aggression. You know, because who else is going to keep these global bullies in check?
This declaration came during his first news conference since a less-than-stellar debate performance against Donald Trump last month that had everyone questioning his health and mental sharpness. Naturally, a reporter jumped in to ask if he had a grand plan to “disrupt the partnership” between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping.
“Of course, I do,” Biden said confidently, but then added a cryptic twist, “but I’m not prepared to talk about the detail of it in public.” Oh, the suspense!
In the meantime, NATO has labeled China a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Because apparently, when it comes to global mischief, these two countries are thick as thieves. Russia is still entangled in its never-ending war with Ukraine, and experts are buzzing about China potentially gearing up for an invasion of Taiwan. Looks like global peace is taking a long vacation.
Biden, ever the skeptic, expressed doubts about chatting with Putin. “There’s not much that (Putin) is prepared to do in terms of accommodating any changes to his behavior,” Biden said, but he’s still open to a dialogue – under the right conditions, of course.
Now, let’s not forget about Xi Jinping. Biden made it clear that Xi needs to understand there’s a “price to pay” for undermining both the Pacific Basin and Europe in their dealings with Russia and Ukraine. And in case anyone missed it, Biden boasted that the U.S. has ramped up defenses in the Pacific region more than any other nation. Take that, China!
US Sends Destroyers To Alaska After Russian And Chinese Ships’ ‘Unprecedented’ Aggression In American Watershttps://t.co/gMHJUCPVtr
— Sheri™ (@FFT1776) August 7, 2023
Speaking of China, they’ve been busy flexing their muscles near Alaska. The U.S. Coast Guard spotted multiple Chinese military ships off the Alaskan coast – quite the scenic route for a little naval reconnaissance, don’t you think? Four ships were seen hanging out in international waters but within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which sounds impressive but is really just a fancy way of saying “close, but not too close.”
Rear Admiral Megan Dean assured everyone that the Chinese ships “operated in accordance with international rules and norms,” which is basically the diplomatic way of saying, “We see you, but we can’t really do much about it.” The Coast Guard Cutter Kimball was on the scene to ensure everything stayed above board, part of Operation Frontier Sentinel, which sounds like a video game but is actually a serious exercise designed to meet presence with presence when competitors like China start lurking around.
“Unprecedented” number of Russian, Chinese warships spotted near Alaska; U.S. sends destroyers to respond.
America must expect reciprocal actions from foreign states if they continue to run ships down their coast. This report is from August. https://t.co/Uzt7cjNATT pic.twitter.com/Ucgs4DWE1O
— Tyler Skillings (@tyler_skillings) November 2, 2023
So, what’s the takeaway here? While China’s little maritime adventure didn’t break any rules, it’s definitely an eyebrow-raiser. Alaska might just be the crown jewel of the Pacific, and China seems keen on knowing its way around the neighborhood. Whether this is just innocent curiosity or a prelude to something more, only time will tell. But rest assured, Biden’s got a plan – he’s just not spilling the beans yet. Stay tuned, folks!
