January 28, 2021

Why Biden won’t reset on China

In the run-up to the US presidential election, many observers either hoped for or feared a reset of relations with China. Ties with Beijing were remarkably tense during the Trump administration, and the Biden team spoke about possible co-operation with Beijing on climate change, pandemics and more.

Should the world, already tossed to and fro by four years of foreign policy unpredictability, now steel itself for another lurching change of direction on China?

The Biden administration is not just breaking with Trump, but with all the Republican and Democrat administrations that came before.

It is still very early days for the Biden administration, and its approach to America’s greatest strategic challenge will take months to flesh out. But early signals suggest a policy that is firmer than many anticipated, focused on promoting universal values alongside US interests, and rooted in strong relationships with allies and partners. No reset is in the offing.

Read the full article from The Australian Financial Review.

  • Commentary
    • Sharper
    • April 3, 2024
    Sharper: Maritime Security

    The importance of securing the maritime domain is rapidly increasing. From the South China Sea to the Red Sea, the U.S. and its allies are experiencing escalating challenges t...

    By Anna Pederson & Charles Horn

  • Reports
    • March 29, 2024
    Countering Coercion

    The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC or China) has been engaging in gray zone activity—coercive behavior that is aimed at changing the status quo but that is below a threshol...

    By Lisa Curtis & Nilanthi Samaranayake

  • Congressional Testimony
    • March 26, 2024
    Deterring the Powerful Enemy

    It is a privilege to testify here on matters that are important to the vital national security interests of the United States, as well as those of our other allies and partner...

    By Tom Shugart

  • Congressional Testimony
    • February 1, 2024
    Military Artificial Intelligence, the People’s Liberation Army, and U.S.-China Strategic Competition

    China sees AI playing a central role in advancing its military power. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping has set ambitious goals for the PLA to “basica...

    By Jacob Stokes

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia