October 29, 2018
Strategic competition beyond confrontation with China
The Trump administration is undertaking a historic reorientation of U.S. policy towards China. The 2018 National Defense Strategy highlighted the “reemergence of long-term, strategic competition” as the “central challenge” for American national security. Calling for an open acknowledgement of the reality of this competition, Matt Pottinger, senior director for East Asia on the National Security Council, has quoted Confucius in saying, “If names cannot be correct, then language is not in accordance with the truth of things. And if language is not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success.”
Such clarity and candor should be welcomed in U.S.-China relations. It is necessary and appropriate to undertake a recalibration of the relationship through more forceful responses to Beijing’s predatory and problematic behavior.
The United States and China are entering a new era in which rivalry and confrontation may extend across all dimensions of this relationship. Vice President Mike Pence’s recent remarks on policy towards China highlighted issues of real and serious concern, including China’s “economic aggression,” military modernization, and covert influence and interference. The frictions are ever more apparent, with the reemergence of the South China Sea as a potential flashpoint and the trade war, which continues with no end in sight.
Read the full article in The Hill.
More from CNAS
-
Sharper: Indo-Pacific Partnerships & Allies
Commentary
Through the Quad and the newly minted, yet controversial, AUKUS agreement, Washington is increasing its focus and resources on the Indo-Pacific region. The White House is also...
By Anna Pederson
-
Unite technodemocracies
Commentary
Technology has become a central element in today's geopolitical competition. Yet there is still no coordination forum among the world's technodemocracies....
By Richard Fontaine & Jared Cohen
-
U.S. Technology Competitiveness: Lessons from the Space Age
Video
America has a rich history of rising to meet generational challenges. The Soviet Union's 1957 launch of Sputnik—the world's first satellite—triggered the U.S.-Soviet space rac...
-
A Techno-Diplomacy Strategy for Telecommunications in the Indo-Pacific
Commentary
There is growing recognition that a multilateral approach is required to deal with the challenges stemming from China’s growing digital influence....
By Lisa Curtis & Martijn Rasser
