U.S.-China relations
How does the Chinese leadership view the U.S.-China relationship? How will that affect how the U.S. responds?
China is often viewed as an all-encompassing challenger to American interests and values. Such expansive framing of the China challenge often does more to conceal than clarify what interests America must prioritize. This project seeks to generate more granular analysis of what vital interests the United States must protect in specific areas of the bilateral relationship and what strategies and specific tools would be most effective for doing so. The purpose of the project is to develop actionable policy recommendations for the incoming U.S. presidential administration. In the seven months leading up to the new administration, interdisciplinary teams of experts convened in each of the following functional areas to define the specific problems or challenges that China’s actions and ambitions pose for American interests, narrow in on America’s objectives in each domain, and identify strategies and tools for protecting the objectives.
Focus areas
Taiwan
What more should the United States do to strengthen deterrence and limit risks emanating from either the PRC or Taiwan to peace and stability in the coming four years?
Military affairs
What comes after primacy? What strategic concept(s) would best position the United States to preserve its vital interests in Asia in a shifting balance of power?
China-Russia relations
How should the United States approach the Sino-Russian relationship? What does the United States and its partners most need to achieve/avoid?
China-Middle East relations
Where are U.S. and Chinese interests in conflict and in alignment in the region? How should the United States approach competition with China in the Middle East?
Diplomatic competition/multilateral system
How should the United States approach China and the multilateral order?
Clean energy transition and technology
What should serve as America’s goals in the technology of clean energy transition? What type of interaction with China would be needed to meet these goals?
Overcapacity and de-risking
How can the United States and its partners deal most effectively with Chinese overcapacity? How should the United States properly scope the concept of de-risking?
U.S.-China relations
China
Abetting competition, restraining Beijing: Recommendations for diplomacy toward China
Taiwan
Taiwan
Whole-of-society resilience: A new deterrence concept in Taipei
Taiwan
Does the United States need to update its Taiwan policy?
Taiwan
How Taiwan can—and often does—help itself
Military affairs
Defense & Security
After primacy: US military options in contemporary East Asia
China-Russia relations
Democracy, Conflict, & Governance
The China-Russia relationship and threats to vital US interests
China-Middle East relations
China
Forecasting China’s strategy in the Middle East over the next four years
Clean energy transition and technology
Upcoming Event
January
13
2025
China
US-China climate relations: Innovation, competition, and global implications
Overcapacity and de-risking
U.S. Trade Policy
How the US should address Chinese overcapacity and its impact on international trade