What the World Wants

from Joe Biden

 
 
 
 

Vocabulary

 

pledge	divide (2)	seek/sought/sought
unify	respect	make/made/made
doubt	trade (3)	anticipate
tariff	deal (2)	collaborate
broker	ally/allies	human rights
lift (2)	involve	recognize
agree	combat	administration (2)
expect	oppose	capability
asylum	pipe (2)	counter (2)
region	field (2)	resolution
crisis	refugee	humanitarian
robust	effective	bipartisan
border	issue (3)	diplomacy
curb	H-1B visa	aggression
policy	irritate	controversial
decide	case (2)	support (2)
trans	mediate	reverse (2)
ban	share (3)	restriction
allow	concern	temporary
broad	intervene	commitment
gulf	sanction	subject (4)
values	coalition	champion (2)
bump	block (3)	having said that
revive	pipeline	bumps on the road
NATO	violence	spend/spent/spent
debate	represent

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Joe Biden, United States President: “I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify, and to make America respected around the world again.”

But what does the world want from the new US president?

 

China

Zhaoyin Fen, BBC Chinese Service

Biden’s victory raises both hopes and doubts in Beijing. China wants Biden to end the trade war, remove Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods and to stop blocking Chinese tech giant Huawai.

It also expects to collaborate with Washington on combating climate change and the pandemic.

But on national security and human rights, Beijing recognizes Biden’s White House may be more effective in working with allies to counter China.”

 

Middle East

Nisrine Hatoum, BBC News Lebanon

Middle East countries don’t all agree on what they want from Joe Biden’s administration.

On relations with Israel, some want the US to broker more deals like those between Israel, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Others are opposed.

On Iran, some Gulf countries are irritated by Biden’s plans to revive the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal and want to be closely involved in talks.

A lot is expected of President Biden in the human rights field. There are also hopes for a mediated resolution to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and Syria, and the refugees issue.

 

India

Zubair Ahmed, BBC News India

India enjoys bipartisan support in Washington. Much of President Trump’s policy towards India is likely to continue under the new president.

India certainly expects a more robust support from Joe Biden against Chinese aggression on the Himalayan borders by building a broad coalition.

India wants the curb on H-1B visas, which allow Indians to work in the US, to be lifted.

 

Mexico

Marcos Gonzalez, BBC News Mexico

People in Mexico and Central America want Joe Biden to end some controversial migration policies.

One of them still keeps thousands of asylum seekers in the US waiting in some dangerous Mexican border cities until their cases are decided.

Other concerns from Latin America are if Biden will finally support stronger sanctions against Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, or how he will deal with Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, one of Donald Trump’s biggest supporters in the region.

 

Nigeria

Azeezat Olaluwa, BBC News, Nigeria

Nigeriia wants Biden to reverse President Trump’s travel ban policy, which has subjected the country to visa restrictions. And only allows new immigrants to stay temporarily.

The Nigerian government also wants Biden to support Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the World Trade Organization director general job.

Ngozi has the largest support of members, but the US under President Trump is blocking her.

On human rights issues, the Nigerian people want Biden to intervene, especially after the End Sars protest violence, which he commented on.

But the Nigerian government won’t want that.

 

Europe

Jenny Hill, BBC News, Germany

Most European countries and Germany in particular, hope the Biden administration will represent a return to a transatlantic relationship which shares and champions democratic values and traditional diplomacy, which will work together on issues like climate change.

However, having said that, many here anticipate some bumps on the road.

The controversial Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, which will double the amount of Russian gas coming into Europe will no doubt continue to irritate Washington, as will the subject of defense. Germany doesn’t meet NATO commitments on defense spending.

There’s a big debate, both here and in the EU over whether it could and should increase its own military capabilities.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

 

Questions

1. Was the video report presented by a single, main reporter?

2. The government of China is ecstatic that former US President Donald Trump has been defeated and replaced by Joe Biden. Is this entirely true, mostly true, in the middle, yes and no, largely false or totally false?

3. Is there unanimity and a broad consensus on what the US should do in the Middle East? Is there a focus on certain countries?

4. The US and India have fairy good relationships. Is this correct or incorrect? Do they revolve strictly on geopolitics?

5. Do the main issues between the US and Mexico and other Latin American countries concern potential military conflict?

6. Why might former President Trump have opposed Ngozi’s appointment as director general of the World Trade Organization?

7. The country that underlines US-European relations and disagreements is Britain. Is this correct or incorrect?

 

A. Who did people in your country favor to win the US presidential election?

B. Our country has a good relationship with the US. Is this entirely true, mostly true, in the middle, yes and no, mostly no or we have terrible relationship.

C. What are some problems, challenges, issue or goals in your country?

D. What would you want from Joe Biden? What wouldn’t you like from him? What should and shouldn’t Joe Biden do?

E. What might happen in the future?