By John J. Metzler
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Now, nearly one year into suffering from the coronavirus, we have entered a new year with trepidation but with guarded optimism that we may be on the verge of conquering the deadly virus.
Yet the world moves on and we inherit the static violent conflicts in places like Syria, Yemen and Libya. We see escalating ethnic fighting in Ethiopia and the sub-Saharan Sahel region?
Let's review some key issues. There are flash points. First, in China, will we see deja vu all over again with a more accommodating Biden administration.
The People's Republic (of China) presents the United States with both an economic and strategic challenge. The Donald Trump administration notably confronted communist China over its trading and technology theft practices.
But will the Biden team who views Beijing as an economic and military competitor return U.S. policy toward China with a debatable reset or measured skepticism?
Word has it that President-elect Joe Biden's team of advisers wants better ties and is suggesting American cooperation with China's space program among other things.
Second is about Hong Kong whose status has proven a political and security barometer on Beijing's intentions, both to the former British crown colony as much as a warning to free and democratic Taiwan.
By suppressing civil and political rights in Hong Kong, China glaringly shows its true colors and signals the rules of the game for Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea.
Significantly, France and Poland among others are pushing back against an investment agreement between the European Union and China.
Regarding Iran, issues focus on the Persian puzzle of possible confrontation, coercion and coexistence. The seemingly perpetual crisis with the Islamic Republic of Iran has now gone on 40 years and outlasted seven American presidents.
An incompetent and corrupt theocratic regime still rules Iran. Nonetheless, the new administration eagerly wishes to return to the flawed 2015 Iran nuclear deal, possibly before Iran's presidential elections in June.
With regard to the Korean Peninsula, President-elect Biden's first security challenge may well be North Korea, whose mercurial leader Kim Jong-un was neutralized by President Trump's epic showdown in 2017.
Though North Korea has refrained from testing nuclear weapons or long-range missiles since the Trump deal, expect Pyongyang to test the waters with the new administration.
In the showdown, Washington will not likely pay enough attention to Japan, a key and reliable U.S. ally, in a bid to play the China card in presumably solving the North Korea problem.
In the possible post-pandemic phase, focus will be on the World Health Organization (WHO), regarding why there should be a reward for the WHO for not sounding the virus alarm in time.
Plans by the incoming administration to return the U.S. to WHO membership are rooted in "feel good emotions" and global hand holding rather than critical analysis.
Refrain from rejoining until the WHO shares credible, verifiable and transparent medical information from inside China to see what really happened in Wuhan.
As to vaccine diplomacy, the U.S., the Europeans and Latin America are distributing the vaccines. Europe remains in lockdown and has had as many fatalities as the U.S.
Britain's seemingly endless Brexit battle is over since Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally got a trade deal with the European Union for a less than bitter break.
The incoming Biden administration, Jobama 3, heralds a back to business as usual with a team of Washington insiders who reflect the status quo, especially in dealing with China and Iran.
Biden inherits an economy which after the COVID-19 shock has begun to rebound. Unemployment has dropped dramatically but we need prudent policy to keep economic growth alive.
Yet poor policies on the state level in places like California and New York have hobbled growth and destroyed small business through a series of unpredictable policy swings.
I have also wild card wishes. The emotional and economic stress of shutdowns and the ensuring economic disaster are yet to be fully comprehended.
School disruptions have caused far deeper psychological stress on students and teachers than we assume. We need normalcy, not lockdowns and edicts.
The American-sponsored Abraham Accords between Israel and key Arab states show the Middle East that peace is possible, presenting a far better alternative than perpetual animosity and confrontation.
Let's keep the diplomatic momentum going toward peace. I would like to see the release of Hong Kong media activist Jimmy Lai who sits in prison for daring to criticize the Beijing regime. The world has changed. I wish you have a healthy and happy New Year!
John J. Metzler (jjmcolumn@earthlink.net) is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism ― The Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China."
