Focus euroatlantico, n. 17 (febbraio-maggio 2021)

The second issue of the 2021 Euro-Atlantic Focus begins, as usual, with an analysis of the state of play in the transatlantic relationship (supplemented by a number of graphs in the appendix). The Biden Administration has replaced the often-hostile rhetoric of former President Trump with a dialogue-oriented attitude. In this more relaxed atmosphere, the United States and the European Union have made steps towards an agreement on such important issues as trade and the global minimum tax, although they remain apart on the rules over competition, climate and anti-covid vaccine patents. In the first essay, Luca Franza and Margherita Bianchi highlight how central the transatlantic consensus is to the effectiveness of international efforts against global warming. Biden’s greater sensitivity to climate change creates new opportunities for US-EU cooperation. The second essay analyses Biden’s China policy. Francesca Ghiretti and Lorenzo Mariani trace the deterioration in the US-China relationship back to Obama’s second term. Consolidated under Trump, US-China antagonism is likely to intensify further with Biden. In the third essay, Giulio Pugliese delves into the history and future prospects of the so-called Quad, the dialogue between Australia, Japan, India and the US that the Biden Administration has resolved to turn into a main pillar of its Indo-Pacific strategy.