An editorial in China’s Global Times states that President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech failed to achieve any semblance of unity, despite how much he talks about it. “From the State of the Union address and the reaction in the U.S., we see the same politically divided, sensitive, anxious, and unconfident U.S.. Such a U.S. has made the world uneasy and unsettled,” the paper writes. They point to the heavy partisan bickering in the Congress, including during Biden’s speech itself.
Referencing the change in America over recent years, they write: “The State of the Union addresses since the end of the Cold War have charted a clear trajectory that the U.S. has gradually changed from a highly confident, optimistic, and pro-diversity country to today’s sensitive, suspicious, and narrow-minded nation. This is regrettable.” In light of the recent hysteria around the Chinese balloon, these comments are to the point.
