U.S. President-elect Joe Biden (L) announces retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin as his choice to be secretary of defense at the Queen Theater Dec. 9, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Getty/Kyodo)

WASHINGTON - President-elect Joe Biden, preparing to take office on Jan. 20, has been sending reassuring messages to U.S. allies that his incoming administration will value them and multilateralism in a clear shift from President Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy.