Staff Reports
President Biden is trying to cement his legacy with a high-stakes gathering at his hometown in Delaware, hosting leaders from Australia, Japan, and India. This summit is supposed to showcase the so-called Quad partnership that Biden has been nurturing, possibly as a last hurrah for his foreign policy efforts before the clock runs out on his presidency. After an awkward pivot from Middle East conflicts, Biden has repositioned U.S. strategy towards the Indo-Pacific, where the real threats, particularly from China, are looming.
The weekend’s festivities included a warm and cozy atmosphere—not exactly the high-pressure diplomacy one might expect, but more of a friendly get-together among leaders before they head off to hold hands at the U.N. General Assembly. Biden has even thrown open the doors of his childhood home in Wilmington and invited his guests to a dinner at his former high school. One has to wonder if there was also an invitation for a game of dodgeball afterwards, just to keep the spirit high.
Biden is putting personal touch on Asia-Pacific diplomacy in his final months in office https://t.co/zwl7rUo0W2
— Talk 1370 (@TALK1370) September 21, 2024
In what could be viewed as a slight diary entry for a president who desperately wants to show that “all politics is personal,” Biden is banking on these leaders to think fondly of him when he’s no longer in the Oval Office. His national security adviser touts the notion that personal relationships are key in diplomacy—as though the fate of nations hinges on how much hearty laughter they can muster over shared political war stories. If Biden’s charisma could turn international policy, then America might just have had a fighting chance.
Strategies to fortify maritime security in the Pacific and Indian oceans are on the agenda, aimed at countering an increasingly assertive China. But isn’t it amusing to think that such discussions are taking place at a dinner table where nostalgic stories of youth might be more common than strategic military insights? The irony of planning serious initiatives while reminiscing about the good old days at Archmere Academy probably doesn’t escape anyone involved.
Biden also plans to engage with Indian Prime Minister Modi concerning India’s neutral stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While the president urges Modi to step up on issues of sovereignty and integrity, one has to wonder whether he will have time for actual policy discussions amidst all the reminiscing and back patting. Meanwhile, Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida might be quietly chuckling as he and Biden exchange parting pleasantries, both stepping down with dwindling approval ratings while trying to brag about their supposed achievements in tightening Japan and South Korea’s tenuous relationship.
At the end of this mini-summit, one can’t help but question the sincerity and effectiveness of Biden’s personal diplomacy. If hosting leaders and having dinner at his childhood school was the secret sauce to international relations, then every high school reunion could also become a geopolitical strategy session. As Biden’s presidency nears its conclusion, the question remains: will these gatherings make a substantial difference in confronting the global challenges ahead, or are they just warm, fuzzy memories to tuck away for nostalgia’s sake?
