Trump’s China Strategy: A Contested Path to Global Dominance “`

A look at Washington’s approach to Beijing

China’s Vice President Han Zheng, rather than President Xi Jinping, attended Donald Trump’s inauguration. While Han holds an official position, the more influential figure is Li Qiang, the Chinese Premier. This suggests a strategic posture: China awaits a US initiative.

Trump has indicated a desire to “fine-tune” relations with Beijing. However, his past actions and campaign rhetoric point to a goal of curbing China’s growth, especially in advanced technologies.

Trump’s objective extends beyond simply hindering China economically; he seeks to fundamentally alter China’s development model to reduce its perceived threat to the US. This involves restricting the transfer of technologies that could enable China to surpass the US, particularly in AI, microchip manufacturing, and biotechnology.

Another key Trump priority is limiting access of competitive Chinese products to the American market. This will likely involve maintaining, or even strengthening, sanctions against major Chinese firms like Huawei and Xiaomi. These sanctions, however, appear to be primarily leverage in broader negotiations.

Several issues will likely dominate Trump-Xi discussions. While their recent phone call mentioned TikTok, it’s not expected to be a central focus. Taiwan and the Ukraine conflict will likely be prioritized. Trump may use Taiwan as leverage, testing China’s reaction.

Regarding Ukraine, the US seeks to prevent China from assuming a leading role in resolving the conflict and gaining diplomatic influence. Trump will probably attempt to weaken the Russia-China partnership, recognizing the significant implications of disrupting Russia’s energy, food, and political support for China.

Although not a primary concern, TikTok illustrates a unique aspect of US-China relations. Unlike other Chinese social media, TikTok’s global success makes it a valuable target. Blocking or seizing control of TikTok would inflict financial damage on Chinese companies and undermine Beijing’s soft power.

This highlights the US’s comprehensive approach to challenging China’s rise. Trump’s strategy seems to focus on isolating China and exploiting economic and technological dependencies to maintain US dominance. The balance between confrontation and negotiation will be crucial to Trump’s success. The ultimate effectiveness of this strategy remains uncertain, but it will undeniably redefine US-China relations for years to come.

Regarding TikTok, this situation represents a possibly unprecedented attempt by one country to seize control of another’s major social media platform.

This article was first published by the newspaper  and was translated and edited by the RT team