America’s National Security Strategy 2022: Interests and Intent at an Inflection Point

The American Administration released its strategic report on security and defense on October 12 and 27 respectively with the former strategy with 48 pages by The White House in Washington D.C. Joe Biden in his foreword remarked that the “world is at an inflection point.” America’s leadership Biden says is warranted to promote liberal, open, and democratic values to tap potential and opportunities for the American generations to come. America in this regard of fostering liberal international order is in the “lockstep of allies and partners” to build a shared future that is sanguine, progressive, and prosperous. This would put America’s traction in world politics in and better position and sharpen focus to tackle new challenges and threats.

America has a competitive edge in the economy, finance, and technology sector and its President claims no single country can out win its status in international politics. America renews its strength, resilience, and ordeal in this journey of 75 years in the post-war world where its stakes are high and the bonding of allies and partners is robust. Its institutions, principles, values, and leadership are unwavering in times of tough circumstances Biden says. It has been said America has deepened alliances in Europe and the Indo-Pacific theater. Biden remarks that NATO is stronger than ever, and Finland and Sweden have acceded to this military pact that bolsters its strength in defending the West from a regime that is authoritarian and not so open. AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States) is a triad grouping to connect Western democracy to the South Pacific power Australia.

Biden says IPS, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, the EU, and the Quad are examples of its leadership endeavor to protect, defend and consolidate democratic partnerships, economic relations and curb strategic pressures and contain dangers to an open society. Biden criticizes China for using international benefits to its favor and Russia for war in Ukraine and reckless threat to use nuclear weapons. Biden is apprehensive that autocratic countries can undermine liberal democracy, prosperity, and peace among nations. To strengthen America, it would invite crème de la crème of human capital from around the world and complemented by a concerted approach of allies to resolve world problems. He says this is “a 360-degree clarity” of the status of international relations, perception, and conduct of America in world affairs. America’s competence is of a caliber to respond to threats, challenges, and risks even under duress. The Security Strategy has five parts: next competition, investments in strength, global priorities, region-based strategy, and concluding note.

In the enduring vision, America foresees two strategic challenges – one outcompeting China by ensuring rules-based international order and acknowledging the rights and liberties of individual countries who share similar principles of a democratic polity. The other is core challenges in the world like climate change, war, conflict, terrorism, migration, pandemics, disasters, famine, and inflation. These are the crux of challenges not secondary to geopolitics. But it is a prime schedule of national and international security. America’s enduring role embraces the affirmative vision of the world in coalition with its partners. It is noted that the US is “a global power with global interests.” If a region or a country is intervened by a hostile power it would impact American relations with other countries. This means that international relations have become intricate and American interests are interwoven in many levels of action and principles.

American President recognizes America to move beyond traditional Free Trade Agreements and to chart new economic arrangements to deepen economic engagement with our partners, like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), a global minimum tax that ensures corporations pay their fair share of tax wherever they are based in the world, the Partnership for Global Investment and Infrastructure (PGII) to help low-and middle-income countries secure high-standard investment for critical infrastructure, to promote and increase international cooperation in the age of competition. Thus, America would pursue a dual-track approach – 1. work with America’s rivals to address shared challenges and 2. work with like-minded and democratic countries.

From the Indo-Pacific Quad (Australia, India, Japan, United States) to the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council, from AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, United States) to I2-U2 (India, Israel, UAE, United States), President Biden says American Administration is creating “a latticework of strong, resilient, and mutually reinforcing relationships” that prove democracies can deliver for their people and the world. Transformative cooperation in diplomacy and fostering an inclusive and prosperous world are the motif of America’s engagement in world affairs. America’s defense strategy has to sustain and strengthen deterrence with pacing challenges from the PRC. It is said to be “an integrated deterrence” to convince to outweigh benefits over conflict from potential adversaries. Outperforming China and Constraining Russia is the core challenge to avert autocratic temptations in the world order. So America intends to invest, align and compete with the PRC. This strategy upholds making Beijing accountable for abuses – genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, human rights violations in Tibet, and the dismantling of Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms. Simultaneously pursue its liberal values and pressurize countries and communities which repress freedom.

America is said to have an abiding interest in maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is critical to regional and global security and prosperity and a matter of international concern and attention. This security strategy opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo from China or America, and clearly says America does not support the independence of Taiwan. America says it remains committed to the One China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. And America reiterates it will uphold commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act to support Taiwan’s self-defense and to maintain its capacity to resist any resort to force or coercion against Taiwan.

America has underlined its global aspirations and is pursuing unleashing democratic norms and values, freedom, rights and liberties at polemicized home turf and the world out there. American statecraft would sharpen tools in revamping the American State Department, Global Public Health System, intelligence community, emerging technologies and cybersecurity, development assistance accessibility, stakeholders’ engagement and prioritizing to equip the technology in national security.
Climate and energy security, pandemics and biodefense, food insecurity, arms control and non-proliferation, terrorism, technology, securing cyberspace, trade and economics, strategy by region – promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, deepen alliance with Europe, foster democracy and shared prosperity in the Western Hemisphere, support de-escalation and integration of West Asia, build 21st century Africa-US partnerships, maintain a peaceful arctic, protect the sea, air and space.

Finally and to the pointed theme, National Security Strategy 2022 encovers America’s strategic assets, strategic – concerns, affairs, domain, issues, intent, delivery, purposes, aims, principles, and aligning practices. These intrinsic convictions are embedded in this security’s strategic doctrine for the coming days ahead if the American administration has the willpower to work to meet these ends. In the context of Nepal, American approaches and diplomatic exercises are in tune with American Foreign Policy, and Nepal has to prepare to meet the repercussions of geopolitics on one end to the geopolitical rivalry on another end. Nepal however small in size in many categories has to be keen to keep abreast of great power foreign and security policy to defend its internal and external sovereignty. The fallouts of geopolitics, geo-economics, and geo-technology would not leave us untouched.