U.S.-China Competition

The agreements signed during Trump’s tour satisfy the Gulf’s strategic interests in ways China cannot. But will the reality live up to the hype?

Insights from Van Jackson. 

China continues to mount a challenge to U.S. power and influence in the Caribbean Community bloc, as this grouping feels increasingly boxed in by Trump 2.0.

U.S. global leadership has been underpinned by its alliances, the openness of its multicultural society, and the freedom of its scientific community. All are under siege.

Most Asian nations are adapting to the trade war with a mix of economic realism, diplomatic agility, and selective state intervention.

Zheng Yongnian provides his recommendations for China to “remain undefeatable” amid both tariffs and the broader competition with the U.S. 

Insights from Nguyen Khac Giang 

From undersea cables to grey zone coercion, the region's states face challenges in managing intensifying strategic competition while addressing comprehensive maritime security issues.

Ironically, Trump’s approach to international relations is playing the game of his proclaimed main enemy: Xi Jinping’s China.

The U.S. alliance network is its greatest advantage in the competition with China. But Washington can hardly count on its allies if it treats them worse than the way it treats its systemic rival.

Growing U.S. engagement with Africa, epitomized by the Lobito Corridor, is deemed a counterbalance to China’s influence. However, China’s engagement with African countries cannot be overturned so easily.