London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 12, 2025

US Won't Force Allies To Take Sides Against China: US Secretary Of State

US Won't Force Allies To Take Sides Against China: US Secretary Of State

"When our allies shoulder their fair share of the burden, they'll reasonably expect to have a fair say in making decisions," Blinken said at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday vowed a new approach to work closer with allies, promising Washington would not force them to take sides against China.

"When our allies shoulder their fair share of the burden, they'll reasonably expect to have a fair say in making decisions," Blinken said at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

"We will honour that -- that begins with consulting our friends, early and often."

The wide-ranging speech on his first official trip to Europe marked a dramatic shift under President Joe Biden from the combative approach of predecessor Donald Trump.

It comes a day before Biden will join a video summit with EU leaders to press home the message that his administration wants to rebuild transatlantic ties.

Biden is keen to take a multilateral approach as he looks to enlist NATO allies and the EU in a united front of democracies to the authoritarian challenge of China.

"The United States won't force our allies into an 'us-or-them' choice with China," Blinken said.

America's top diplomat insisted "there's no question that China's coercive behaviour threatens our collective security and prosperity".

"But that doesn't mean countries can't work with China where possible, for example on climate change and health security."

"Navigate together"


Blinken was set to meet EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and foreign policy head Josep Borrell for talks later Wednesday.

The US and EU took a first step towards joint action against Beijing by unveiling synchronised sanctions on Monday over the crackdown on the Uyghurs in China.

But Brussels irritated Biden's team by agreeing an investment deal with Beijing weeks before he took office.

Blinken said Washington wants to work with partners to "close the gaps in areas like technology and infrastructure, where Beijing is exploiting to exert coercive pressure."

"We will rely on innovation, not ultimatums," he said.

The US is also seeking to stand together with allies in the face of a more assertive Russia.

Blinken raised Washington's potential sanctions over the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project between Russia and Germany in a meeting with Berlin's top diplomat Heiko Maas.

On the contentious issue of defence spending, Trump repeatedly harangued wealthy NATO members like Germany to reach a target of two percent of gross domestic product.

Blinken said this goal remained "crucial", but softened Washington's approach by admitting that allies could "shoulder their share of the burden in different ways".

"No single number fully captures a country's contribution to defending our collective security," he said.

There appeared also to be a message for NATO members such as Turkey where the government has been accused of clamping down on the opposition and rights.

"We all must speak up when countries take steps that undermine democracy and human rights," Blinken said.

"And we must help those countries move back in the right direction, by strengthening the guardrails of democracy."

At an earlier bilateral meeting, Blinken pressed Turkey's foreign minister over Ankara's purchase of a Russian air defence system, withdrawal from a treaty on violence against women, and rights record.

Biden's administration is still formulating its overall approach to Ankara -- but it maintains that it sees the country as an important ally that it wants to keep firmly in NATO.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
×