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World leaders hope for fresh start after Biden win

57 Comments
By JOE McDONALD

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Duterte, who had said Filipino-Americans would “get the best deal with Trump,” expressed hope for enhanced ties based on “shared commitment to democracy, freedom and the rule of law.”

I do hope Biden sanctions this mass murderer, unlike his admirers Trump and Abe.

14 ( +25 / -11 )

World leaders on Sunday cheered Joe Biden’s election

After Trump it will be difficult to have anyone anywhere regain even a semblance of trust in the US as an ally. Trump did more damage to the US internationally than any modern president.

The Trump swamp may be draining, but the stench they're leaving behind won't go away for a long time.

8 ( +23 / -15 )

Finally, someone that can at least relate to other world leaders on a personal level and connection, not something that is hostile and antagonistic.

10 ( +22 / -12 )

World leaders hope for fresh start after Biden win

Whither Brexit?

1 ( +12 / -11 )

Trump did more damage to the US internationally than any modern president

Complete hysterical nonsense. Bush Junior literally set the Middle East ablaze, laid the groundwork for I.S and is directly responsible for the deaths and suffering of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Iraqis. Obama, despite his heady rhetoric about an Asia-first foreign policy, stuck his head in the sand and hoped the China & North Korea problem would go away (spoiler: it hasn’t). Despite bombing some empty airfields in supposed retaliation, he stood back and allowed Assad to launch chemical attacks on his own people. Obama also did nothing as Russians established a presence in Syria. He failed to provide support to the Philippines during the Scarborough Shoal standoff - an episode described by one US general as “the greatest US military disaster since the helicopters took off from the embassy roof in Saigon”. Nixon began the process of outsourcing the US industrial base to China in an act of catastrophic self-sabotage unprecedented in modern human history. Clinton added to it with a NAFTA deal that was yet another punch in the guts for blue-collar workers.

The list of US blundering and meddling across the globe goes on and on but despite all his infantile bragging and crude syntax, Trump’s not even in the same league as Obama or Nixon when it comes to wrecking long-term global influence.

-12 ( +19 / -31 )

After Trump said he won “by a lot,” the Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily responded on Twitter, “HaHa.”

This is the first time I have agreed 100% with the CCP.

20 ( +30 / -10 )

What about Okinawa goes independent from Japan and lease their land charging U.S. Forces. Then, U.S. Forces will withdraw from Okinawa soon. U.S. Forces will not stay there with their own money.

-7 ( +5 / -12 )

Trump’s not even in the same league as Obama or Nixon when it comes to wrecking long-term global influence.

I have to disagree. You make valid points about Bush and Obama, but the big difference is that they were all committed to maintaining the postwar US dominated system. So even as they did horrible things in Iraq, etc, they avoided doing things that would break the system.

Trump though ignored that line and attacked the system itself. He withdrew the US from everything he could, often out of nothing but spite. In doing so he was breaking America’s ability to make credible commitments with its allies. Even with him gone, that trust won’t come back since the rest of the world knows the US could easily elect someone like him again.

China is now stepping in to the void that Trump created, so the crap job he did as president has not only hastened the decline of the postwar US dominated order, but also fed the rise of China. This is not good if you like democracy. And its way more destructive than anything Bush or Obama did (and note that the Trump administration despite its rhetoric was perfectly happy to keep bombing the middle east, etc).

7 ( +17 / -10 )

For a start, I have very little doubt that Biden will reverse Trump's decision to make a profit out of ensuring the independence of Japan and South Korea.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

I wonder if Biden will be able to do anything to take the knife out of the back of the Kurds that Trump put there.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

We get our global strength from our allies. Trump never understood that.

9 ( +14 / -5 )

You make valid points about Bush and Obama, but the big difference is that they were all committed to maintaining the postwar US dominated system.

Bush, Obama, Nixon, Clinton etc didn’t avoid doing things that would break the system, they actively undermined it by starting illegal wars and turning a blind eye as China spread its influence across the world and into major global institutions like the WHO. The void you speak of was created long before Trump arrived on the scene.

The post-war order may be US dominated but it is still a multilateral system and as Trump, for all his faults, pointed out, it was and continues to be, undermined by the multitude of other countries who fail to contribute in any meaningful way and always expect America to do the heavy lifting (Germany’s pitiful NATO contributions being a prime example).

-6 ( +8 / -14 )

Great points Giant haystacks, and they fail to mention the middle east deal, to Trump credit, that recently occurred.

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

That old crazy person just had to go.

Sure but you replaced him with another old crazy person.... 77

I support neither of them one is just as bad as the other I guess in 4 years you will have a different president it is already time for Biden and Trump to have retired. I guess he has taken over Trump's oldest person elected to be the president... At least you are keeping the white house as an old folks home.

Of course world leaders had to cheer him and congratulate him they had to do it to whom ever won the election. I can't imagine any of them who would not have congratulated Trump if he had won. Now watch them all asking for a new deal.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

It seems quite a few Trump supporters here forget that prior to COVID, and even during its initial phases, Trump was the CCP's biggest booster....

He consistently praised Xi and complimented him while negotiations on the US-China trade deal were ongoing...

And then when COVID hit, he went out of his way to say what a "great job" Xi was doing.

It was only after his staff told him that COVID was the biggest threat to his reelection did he flip and started the whole "China virus" narrative....

Want more proof? Go to the Trumpstore.com and see how much of the trinkets and clothes are made in China...

Trump is still China's best business partner...

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Bush, Obama, Nixon, Clinton etc didn’t avoid doing things that would break the system

Actually they didn't, as evidenced by the fact that the system still exists. I don't dispute that they undermined it, but they didn't break it completely.

The void you speak of was created long before Trump arrived on the scene.

No, China has been a growing power for decades and there wasn't much anyone could do to stop it, but previous presidents always asserted a US leadership role in international institution. Trump though basically packed it in and threw China the keys.

The post-war order may be US dominated but it is still a multilateral system and as Trump, for all his faults, pointed out, it was and continues to be, undermined by the multitude of other countries who fail to contribute in any meaningful way and always expect America to do the heavy lifting (Germany’s pitiful NATO contributions being a prime example).

This is just hyperbole. Countries, including the US, can freely decide their own defence budgets. Its actually what has kept NATO mostly together for 70 years. If the US does the "heavy lifting" its because the US is the one starting all the bloody wars that nobody else wants to be involved with to begin with.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Actually, it's true. Europe's militaries collectively are pitiful. They have been allowed to atrophy because they could depend on Uncle Sugar to bail them out. Well, at least Trump made the effort to stop that from happening. He also got the Muslims and Jews talking in the Middle East, resulting in three new peace accords.

If I were American, I would be suspicious if world leaders were overly praising the President. He needs to act in America's interests, not "global" ones.

-11 ( +2 / -13 )

World leaders hope for fresh start after Biden win

You mean go back to the status quo.

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

Joe Biden. An almost 50 year career forging the current future. He represents everything heinous about the Democratic Party. The donor class placed him as head of the ticket, then selected the lady-in-waiting Harris.

Harris gained zero delegates in her quest for the nomination and never polled much over 1%, though being 'all in' during the Iowa Caucus.

Biden never won a primary or caucus until Super Tuesday, when Obama, acting on behalf of the elite & financiers in the Democratic Party 'convinced' all the leading candidates, excepting Sanders, to withdraw and endorse Biden. Biden, previously had twice sought the nomination to no avail, having to withdraw after being caught for foisting fraudulent facts and lies.

Biden, is suffering from dementia and is spurred on by various drugs, including amphetamines to keep him 'sharp' or at least not completely befuddled and inarticulate. The citizenry of the USA, has thrice elected a senile old geezer to the most powerful office in the land, Ronald Reagan twice and now Biden.

Harris, a corporate Democrat, had a long term affair with Willie Brown, the state assembly speaker and mayor of San Francisco, he was 61, she was 29. The reward being appointed to lucrative positions in government. Reflecting her conservative and corporate underpinnings, as attorney general, was pressed by staff to indict Mnuchin for fraud and other charges. She refused and was later rewarded with donations to her senate campaign from Mnuchin. Mnuchin is currently secretary of the treasury under Trump.

Biden disavows any progressive agenda and is beholden to billionaires and various corporate financiers. He supported both invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Lorded over the Clarence Thomas debacle, emplacing not just Thomas, but Scalia on the supreme Court.

His ridiculous stories about Corn Pop, are completely mental. The complete fabrication and lie about being arrested in South Africa while trying to visit Mandela, reflect his character and penchant for lying and certainly reveal some manner of mental illness. Harris, shares that trait, as exhibited in her claim, while stoned, listening to an album by TuPac, which didn't exist.

You reap what you sow.

-18 ( +2 / -20 )

Great points Giant haystacks, and they fail to mention the middle east deal, to Trump credit, that recently occurred.

what middle east peace, didnt know Israel was at war with UAE, ask the Palestinians and Iran what they think of Isreal, there will never be peace in the middle east until that issue is resolved, do I expect Biden to fix it probably not but Trump was doomed to fail the day he declared Jerusalem capital of Israel, he just managed to pee off the majority of the muslim world even more.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

You reap what you sow.

What a bunch of bunk...

Someone is a sore loser...

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Bolsonaro is very very quiet. He'll be booted out soon too. UK's Johnson is secretly disappointed, but that bumbling buffoon has other problems. And forget about China - the CCP will never be pleased with any American government. Actually the mainland Chinese secretly admire Trump as they like rude, brash, outspoken people.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Gore thought he was president for a month too. Very unwise for any leader to even treat him as President-elect before the electoral college has announced who has won the election.

-10 ( +4 / -14 )

WTFJapan; the Palestinians are irrelevant. They made themselves irrelevant by refusing very reasonable peace deals that even other Islamic countries wanted them to take. So now they are on the outside looking in. The region is lining up Sunni vs. Shia, with the Sunni and Israel taking one side. Trump was wise to start getting them all on board, as Iran is the real threat to the region.

-13 ( +1 / -14 )

No, China has been a growing power for decades and there wasn't much anyone could do to stop it, but previous presidents always asserted a US leadership role in international institution. Trump though basically packed it in and threw China the keys.

Trump literally forced the rest of the world to reconsider using a communications system that would have handed the CCP a huge business - and possibly military - advantage for many years to come. It's absurd that you fail to acknowledge that. A key role in international institutions means nothing if you're actively feeding the CCP beast with outsourced production and unreciprocated access to your markets - both things that Trump attempted to address. Militarily, the US could have done far more to support its allies in the region. The previously referenced Scarborough Shoal incident was one of a number of occasions under Obama alone where the US military lost significant strategic ground.

Countries, including the US, can freely decide their own defence budgets. 

Actually they can't. In 2006, NATO Defence Ministers agreed to commit a minimum of two per cent of their Gross Domestic Product to spending on defence.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Kentaro, if America was actually fascist, do you think there would have been a free and fair election? Do you think the presumptive winner (Biden) would be allowed to go on TV and proclaim victory? Do you think the major media outlets would be ALLOWED to let the presumptive winner go on tv?

Get over your hysteria.

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

Trump just purely expressed what almost all Americans wanted.

-7 ( +5 / -12 )

Tangerine2000Today  10:54 am JST

Very unwise for any leader to even treat him as President-elect before the electoral college has announced who has won the election.

Why? The electors really just rubber stamp the result. None of them are going to break ranks and award their votes to the losing candidates in their states.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Why? The electors really just rubber stamp the result. None of them are going to break ranks and award their votes to the losing candidates in their states.

Because some states haven't finished counting yet. Some others are going to have recounts. Then there are the accusations of voter fraud. Even if you think there was no fraud, the cases have to be dismissed before the election can be settled.

-13 ( +2 / -15 )

Trump literally forced the rest of the world to reconsider using a communications system that would have handed the CCP a huge business - and possibly military - advantage for many years to come.

That wasn't Trump - that was the defense and intel establishment that warned against Huawei - Trump would have gladly negotiated that away as part of his China-US trade deal - the one he failed to complete...

A key role in international institutions means nothing if you're actively feeding the CCP beast with outsourced production and unreciprocated access to your markets - both things that Trump attempted to address.

"Feeding the beast" and "outsourced production" - you've just perfectly described Trump giving millions to the CCP each year to make his Trump Collection shirts, ties, and golf bags...

Countries, including the US, can freely decide their own defence budgets. 

Actually they can't. In 2006, NATO Defence Ministers agreed to commit a minimum of two per cent of their Gross Domestic Product to spending on defence.

Trump has criticized NATO partners for failing to reach their budget goal - but provide one example where he criticized Russia for invading and annexing Crimea...

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Atilla:. Kentaro, if America was actually fascist, do you think there would have been a free and fair election?

I think people are thinking more about unmarked vans pulling people off the streets. Or using tear gas on peaceful protesters for a photo op for the President. Or public calls for the DOJ to investigate your rivals.

What do you call that? Freedom?

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Trump literally forced the rest of the world to reconsider using a communications system that would have handed the CCP a huge business - and possibly military - advantage for many years to come. It's absurd that you fail to acknowledge that.

Acknowledged. Just because I didn't mention every single thing he did in a comment doesn't mean I am ignoring it.

A key role in international institutions means nothing if you're actively feeding the CCP beast with outsourced production and unreciprocated access to your markets - both things that Trump attempted to address. 

Also noted. My point isn't that Trump didn't do anything, yes he did stuff!

Not all of that stuff was good though. His overall approach to China was hamfisted and ad hoc. These measures you cite could have been effective if they had been part of a broader strategy. But they weren't. Bottom line is that China's position is much better now than it was four years ago when Trump took over. Not all of that is Trump's fault and yes, he obviously acted quite vigorously against China is a lot of ways. But none of that paid off because he was retreating on other fronts - alienating US allies, abandoning most international institutions to greater Chinese influence wihtout any sort of plan, etc.

Actually they can't. In 2006, NATO Defence Ministers agreed to commit a minimum of two per cent of their Gross Domestic Product to spending on defence.

Actually they can. That 2% is a guideline, its not a binding treaty obligation. Personally I think its stupid to arbitrarily insist that all countries spend 2% of their economy on their military regardless of actual need.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Tangerine2000Today  11:18 am JST

Because some states haven't finished counting yet.

Right.... I think it's generally considered to be okay to start referring to the winner as the President-elect after that, rather than wait for the final confirmation from the Electoral College. Are you still hoping to be proved right about Trump winning, and that someone is going to somehow turn this whole thing around for you? I wouldn't pin any hopes on the Electoral College if I were you.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

I don't have any hopes to pin as I am not a Trump supporter. Trump will still win, though.

Things will play out like Florida in 2000.

-9 ( +3 / -12 )

the Palestinians are irrelevant. They made themselves irrelevant by refusing very reasonable peace deals that even other Islamic countries wanted them to take.

The peace deals offered to them were paltry and offensive. I would have rejected them, too.

Palestine must be treated as an equal of Israel, and not like a ghetto.

The same goes for Irish unity, Biden must not soften his stance with the Johnson government, who have shown themselves to be unreliable and untrustworthy.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

I don't have any hopes to pin as I am not a Trump supporter. Trump will still win, though.

Lol.

He can't even win at golf without cheating.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Your posts tell a different story.

How so? Pointing out who is going to win doesn't make one a supporter.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

You repeat the Trump narrative constantly:

So stating facts are now part of repeating the 'Trump narrative'?

I think you may be so blinded by partisanship that you can't even consider the possibility that there are people who aren't Trump supporters but who can see the dodgy stuff in this election.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

Tangerine2000Today  11:50 am JST

I don't have any hopes to pin as I am not a Trump supporter.

I was referring to any hope you might have that you will be proved right about Trump winning. You won't get any satisfaction from the Electoral College if, or more likely when, Biden is confirmed as the winner.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

You won't get any satisfaction from the Electoral College if, or more likely when, Biden is confirmed as the winner.

The fact that you use the word 'satisfaction' tells me a lot about how you see the election. It is best not to be too emotionally invested, Simon.

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

No doubt everyone’s just waiting for the final declaration of President Biden until they let their true feelings of Trump be known publicly. Former Pro-Trumper are even jumping ship already... notice a lack of posts by certain posters lately, for example?

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Even in the Biden government, Johnson/UK will have less importance than with the EU

How can anyone thumb down this factual statement?

Why would anyone give more importance to the UK than the EU?

4 ( +8 / -4 )

But Chinese social media users welcomed the change. A post on the Sina Weibo microblog service, signed Gong Teng Xin Yi, said, “Congratulating Biden, the old friend of Chinese people on winning the election.”

Of course they are happy their puppet appears to have won.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

There are several states that are disputed, all of them sharing some characteristics, like mass mails, delayed deadline rules, and democrat organizations.

Yes, and that's not all. This was all funded by Hillary's PizzaGate. Voter fraud doesn't grow on trees. You need money which comes from the evil doing of Hillary. Hillary is the one who was behind the ouster of Trump. Need to start with Hillary's PizzaGate as per QAnon guidelines.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

In London, there were fireworks. In Paris, the church bells rang. Just how un-popular do you have to be to have people in alliance countries celebrate your defeat? Trump - Level un-popular...

6 ( +6 / -0 )

WilliB talking about Biden's integrity should look at Trump's integrity before casting the first stone.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

the Palestinians are irrelevant.

ah no theyre not its their land who Israel declared as their own, Jerusalem is a sacred city for both Muslims and Jews alike, to unilaterally declare it Israels will never get the Muslim world on board, and without Iran Palestine and the majority of the Muslim world on board there will never be peace in the middle east

5 ( +5 / -0 )

It is over. Biden won. Move on. The SENATE NEXT Thank you.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

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