Joe Biden is currently in the lead, as most states across the United States have emerged as blue. A change in the White House inevitably leads to changes in foreign policy with far-reaching consequences on all state actors. As Noam Chomsky states, every president brings a new doctrine that changes the dynamics of global. If Joe Biden wins the election, foreign relations of the United States with Pakistan and India are likely to get impacted.
If Biden wins: consequences for Pakistan
The Presidency of Donald Trump did not particularly benefit Pakistan, his mantra of “no more” led to a reduction in bilateral aid to Pakistan. In 2018, Donald Trump tweeted announcing the end of bilateral aid to Pakistan, the tweet strained the already struggling ties between Pakistan and the United States. The relations were somewhat strengthed by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Washington in July, the visit resulted in improved bilateral relations. Consequently, the Trump administration also resumed membership of Pakistan in US military training that was previously halted.
If Biden gets elected as the President, the relations between Pakistan and the United States are likely to boom. When Biden served as the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), Biden was a prominent member in promulgating the Enhanced Partnership Act with Pakistan. The Act was promulgated in 2008 and strengthed the US-Pakistan ties on an international front as well. Biden aimed to improve the economic situation in Pakistan to assist in regional stability. Biden has also viewed Pakistan as a valuable ally when it comes to the Afghanistan issue.
Relations with India likely to be multi-faceted
Biden has been highly enthusiastic when it comes to establishing diplomatic relations with India. In 2006, Biden said in an interview, “My dream is that in 2020 the two closest nations in the world will be India and the United States. If that occurs, the world will be safer.” Biden played an important role in removing the sanctions on India post-Pokhran-2 nuclear tests. However, several political scientists feel that Biden will not be a good presidential candidate when it comes to relations between China and India, since Biden is likely to go soft on China.
It has been predicted by UBS Global Research that Biden’s win will secure better trade policies for India. This will boost the economy by improving the investor market. Biden’s approach towards trade policies and sanctions has also been predicted to be more stable which will suit India’s political culture. Biden’s win will also impact immigration policies. In case Biden wins, he is likely to implement changes that support his stance that, “Immigrants bring tremendous economic, cultural, and social value to their new communities.” Biden has also previously voiced that he will abolish anti-immigrant policies that are detrimental to India.
