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By Daniel Bush
White House Correspondent
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President Joe Biden often says the world is caught in a 21st-century power struggle between democracies governed by the rule of law and autocracies run by ruthless rulers like President Vladimir Putin of Russia.
On Wednesday, the White House drew attention to Biden's worldview by releasing an official national security blueprint that singled out Russia as a dangerous foe and China as the United States' chief competitor.
The three-page "National Security Strategy" contains few surprises, but it does effectively lay out what amounts to a Biden doctrine on foreign affairs at a time of heightened tension over a global economic slowdown and the war in Ukraine.
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"The most pressing strategic challenge we face as we pursue a free, open, prosperous, and secure world are from powers that layer authoritarian governance with a revisionist foreign policy," the memo says.
China is named as the United States' "only competitor with both the intent and, increasingly, the capability to reshape the international order."
The statement is an unusually stark admission by the administration that China — fueled by rapid economic growth in recent decades and an increasingly muscular foreign policy — has completed its transformation into a world power on par with the U.S.
The memo does not dwell on the war in Ukraine or single out Putin by name, but it notes that "constraining a dangerous Russia" is a top priority for the United States.
Nevertheless, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has largely dictated Biden's foreign policy in recent months, and the war's impact is visible in this new national security vision
The memo makes clear the U.S. is committed to increasing its involvement in the Indo-Pacific region, a nod to the administration's efforts to bolster America's cooperation with countries like Japan and Australia. Biden reinforced those ties during a summit with Southeast Asian leaders held in Washington earlier this year.
At the same time, the memo acknowledges that security concerns in Europe remain front and center. The blueprint was released one day after an emergency meeting of the G7 nations, the world's leading economies, in which the group announced its continued support for Ukraine and condemned a recent wave of Russian airstrikes on civilian targets across the country.
The emphasis on Europe is a concession that the war in Ukraine has occupied much of the administration's energy, making a full pivot to focus on Asia and other parts of the world an unrealistic goal for the time being.
The strategy document also indirectly rebukes former President Donald Trump's approach to global affairs. Trump pursued an "America First" doctrine that prioritized economic competition over longstanding alliances between the U.S. and its allies.
"Strategic competition is global, but we will avoid the temptation to view the world solely through a competitive lens, and engage countries on their own terms," the memo states.
It also highlights "climate change, food insecurity, communicable diseases" and inflation as leading concerns for the U.S. and its allies. Tackling those challenges will require investments in the U.S. military and domestic industrial production, the memo says.
It lays out a plan to "modernize and strengthen our military so it is equipped for the era of strategic competition," but does not offer details.
"We are modernizing our military, pursuing advanced technologies, and investing in our defense workforce to best position America to defend our homeland, our allies, partners, and interests overseas, and our values across the globe," the document reads.
The memo's release comes as Biden makes his closing arguments to voters ahead of the fall midterm elections. Biden has focused on his work containing the coronavirus pandemic, the economy, and his effort to bolster international support for Ukraine.
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