At noon on January 20, local time, Biden, the elected president of the United States, was sworn in on Capitol Hill and officially became the 46th president of the United States.
This also means that Trump's four-year term has come to an end.
The four years that belong to Biden is about to begin, can the deeply torn American society be "cured"?
Biden is sworn in, Trump's absence breaks 150-year tradition
The riots in Congress on January 6 made the atmosphere of the power transfer ceremony tense, and Washington entered a state of emergency early.
The White House, Capitol Hill, and Lincoln Memorial are heavily guarded, with more than 20,000 National Guard personnel standing by.
At 12 noon, Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.
"Division" and "Unity" have become frequent words in Biden's inauguration speech.
Biden admitted that the current predicament facing the United States is historical. The country is being "deeply torn apart" by several forces and must face the "ugly reality", that is, racism, xenophobia, fear, etc., which have been split for a long time. To the United States.
He vowed to combat political extremism and domestic terrorism, calling on everyone to "unify and unite again", and urge those who do not support him to "watch what they say and do" about how they practice political ideas.
Biden also led the people present to observe the death of the new crown.
He said that now, the United States has entered the "most deadly" stage of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and is experiencing a "dangerous winter."
He pointed out that the number of Americans who died of this disease was equal to the number of people who died in World War II.
On January 20, the number of deaths from new coronary pneumonia in the United States exceeded 400,000.
Biden's oath of office Source: White House video screenshot
Biden also promised that the United States will work hard to repair relations with its allies, establish "good connections" with the world again, and become a "trusted partner".
The outgoing Vice President Pence attended Biden's inauguration, but the outgoing President Trump left the White House early and was absent from the ceremony.
Biden did not mention the name of former President Trump in his speech.
Four years ago, when Trump was about to enter the White House, even though he and Obama were "not pleasing to each other", both sides followed the tradition to finish the ceremony.
Four years later, Trump became the first outgoing president of the United States to miss the inauguration of his successor in 150 years.
On the morning of January 20th, after holding a farewell ceremony for himself, he took the "Air Force One" and left the White House where he had lived for four years, and flew to Sea Lake Manor, Florida.
Screenshot of Biden's personal social account
What does Biden want to do after taking office? What can I do?
Finally, he entered the Oval Office of the White House. Biden's first priority at the moment is naturally to arrange his own "right man".
——Biden's cabinet takes the stage, regaining the characteristics of the Obama era
With Biden taking office, the US cabinet team made an appearance.
Tao Wenzhao, a researcher at the Institute of American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told a reporter from Chinanews.com, "The biggest feature of Biden's cabinet is diversity, and both are rich in governance experience."
The key positions of the cabinet are:
Vice President: Harris (African, Indian, Latino female)
Secretary of State: Blinken (Deputy Secretary of State under Obama)
Defense Chief: Austin (African-American retired general)
Treasury Secretary: Janet Yellen (former Fed Chairman and dovish representative)
Among them, Harris, the first female Vice President of the United States and Secretary of State Blincol, are eye-catching.
Data map: Harris, the new vice president of the United States.
Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, pointed out in an interview with Chinanews.com that Biden’s election of Harris was mainly based on election considerations and was a “politically correct” strategy.
Because "Harris is a woman, but also African, Indian and Latino, which helps Biden maximize the support of voters."
In the summer of 2019, Harris had "choked" with Biden, and was once full of gunpowder.
However, the two later reached an alliance. In March of the following year, Harris announced his support for Biden and actively campaigned.
As for Blincoln, Li Haidong said, "Biden has chosen someone who is trustworthy and experienced." Since 2002, Blincoln has been Biden's foreign policy adviser.
As a long-term confidant, he is familiar with the geopolitical game in the Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. His thinking will be the direction of US diplomacy in the next four years or so.
——New Crown Epidemic
At present, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of the new crown in the United States has exceeded 24 million. Biden wants to burn the first fire for the "new official" to take office, naturally, stepping up to deal with the "invisible enemy" that has been out of control-the new crown pneumonia.
Biden has previously promised that within 100 days of taking office, 100 million Americans will be vaccinated, and the public will be urged to wear masks voluntarily and reopen schools safely.
Li Haidong estimated that his "scientific fight against the epidemic" after Bi came to power should ease the epidemic in the United States. "This is foreseeable."
——Economic Dilemma
The spread of the epidemic in the United States has also become a "black swan" impacting the economy.
The United States has ended its economic expansion that lasted for more than 10 years, and the unemployment rate has soared. Nearly 4 million Americans are in a state of long-term unemployment.
Trump's economic efforts seem to have disappeared with the epidemic.
Although Biden has proposed a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus plan to promote economic recovery, it remains to be seen how effective it will be for the "struggling" US economy.
Liu Weidong, a researcher at the Institute of American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that if Biden wants to really boost the U.S. economy, Biden has several options. "One is to lower deposit interest rates, promote consumption, and allow more money to flow. The other is to increase taxes. , To collect taxes from the rich to fill the vacancy and ensure basic national expenditure. In addition, Biden may adopt an expansionary monetary policy."
Data map: Yellen, who was the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has now joined Biden's cabinet.
In order to restore the U.S. economy, Biden chose Janet Yellen, an experienced and former chairman of the Federal Reserve, as the Secretary of the Treasury.
Liu Weidong said that Yellen is considered to be a bridge between the Biden administration and the Federal Reserve, and is expected to promote economic stimulus plans and promote employment.
——Re-"add group"
During Trump's tenure, the United States successively withdrew from many international organizations and agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Paris Agreement, and the World Health Organization, which greatly reduced its international influence and reputation.
Biden made it clear that he would return to the "Paris Agreement" on the first day in office, or include the WHO.
Li Haidong believes that although the U.S. return to the international community is positive, the international community should not expect too much. Because Biden's term of office is only four years, it is certainly not enough to quickly eliminate the consequences of Trump. .
——Middle East
Since Trump took office, he has been pursuing a policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran.
Withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement and the assassination of the Iranian general Soleimani, etc., have further engulfed the US-Iran conflict and confrontation in the Middle East.
Biden promised that after he took office, he would reverse the "dangerous failure" of Trump's Iran policy and rejoin the Iran nuclear agreement.
On the other hand, on the issue of Israel, Trump has promoted the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and other countries during his tenure, and has given him “green lights” on many issues.
"However, when the Democratic Party cooperates with Middle Eastern countries, the process will not be very smooth." Shen Yamei, deputy director of the American Institute of the China Institute of International Studies, said in an interview with Chinanews.com.
Data map: Leaders of the member states of the Group of Seven (G7) summit meeting.
-Repair allies?
In the past four years, relations between the Trump administration and its European allies have dropped to a freezing point.
The continued suppression of the "North Stream 2" natural gas pipeline project, the firm support for Brexit, and the funding entanglements with NATO member states have led experts to conclude that "transatlantic romanticism has long ended".
After Biden takes power, he is expected to try his best to repair relations with his former allies.
In June 2021, at the Group of Seven (G7) summit hosted by the United Kingdom, Biden may have the first meeting with the leaders of G7 member states.
However, due to the conflict of interests between the United States and Europe, although the Biden administration will be relatively soft in its approach, it is inevitable that the game will be tense.
It is worth mentioning that in this general election, the Democratic Party not only saved the House of Representatives, but also won the Senate, achieving "full governance."
With the two houses in hand, they are no longer "lame ducks". Although they are not so good that they can do whatever they want, the president's policy implementation will be greatly enhanced. This is of vital importance to Biden, who is eager to clean up the "mess."
Data map: Former US President Trump.
Can Biden "cure" the United States?
Four years ago, Trump's victory in the election shocked many people. The media screamed "This is the darkest day in the world." Four years later, when he left, a more divided United States was revealed to the world.
After the violent attack on Congress, a poll conducted by CBS in the U.S. showed that more than half of the respondents said that the greatest threat to American society comes from "the Americans themselves," a political system that was once regarded as a standard by Americans. Almost falling apart.
In fact, the contradictions between elites and grassroots, whites, and minorities in American society have always been difficult to bridge.
With the further deepening of globalization, the gap between the rich and the poor in the United States has once again intensified, leading to a sharp increase in differences and hatred.
Liu Weidong further analyzed that during Trump's four-year term, confrontation has intensified, "this has caused people from all walks of life and ethnicity in the United States to think that they are victims."
At the same time, Shen Yamei also pointed out, "The issue of political polarization and social division in the United States. Trump (appearance) is a result, but not the cause."
Analysis believes that whether it is Trump's chanting of "Americans first" or the construction of an "immigrant wall" on the southern border, they are all promoted by a certain public opinion and are in the interests of many white, suburban and rural voters.
For Trump, this is more of a means to cater to public opinion and promote elections.
In fact, despite Trump's defeat in this election, he still won the support of over 70 million American voters.
This also confirms from the side that the reality of highly divided American politics is a difficult problem the new government has to face.
Today, even though Biden has urged unity on many occasions, he said, "I will be the president representing every American." However, analysis generally believes that the White House will change hands and cannot bridge the differences within American society. There is still a gap that cannot be bridged between people.
Shen Yamei also said, "Whether Biden can unite with the United States or become a transitional figure under the influence of a divided domestic environment is still unknown."
Author: Zhang Dong Hanyang Olin