August 4, 2025

2025-04-01T122017Z_1125498525_RC2ZODA0POSW_RTRMADP_3_CHINA-TAIWAN-MILITARY

Beijing bolsters its position in the Indo-Pacific with little US pushback

With the Trump administration's overextended foreign policy and its muted responses to China's coercive activities, Beijing has been advancing its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific at America's expense, argues Jonathan Czin and Allie Matthias. They assert that recalibrating Beijing's expectations is still possible but will require more than rhetoric or piecemeal actions from U.S. officials.

Creative patterns in the age of AI: Securing America's education edge

Expanding on a collection of essays on AI’s impact on U.S.-China relations, Yingyi Ma and Ying Lin examine how AI is reshaping the education systems of both countries. They argue that to preserve its edge in interdisciplinary and innovative education, the U.S. must invest in strong AI infrastructure, comprehensive teacher training, and curricular reform.

Chinese perspectives on strategic stability engagement with the United States

Tsinghua University Professor Li Bin explores how Chinese security experts perceive strategic stability in U.S.-China relations, particularly regarding the impact of emerging technologies on conflict and nuclear risk. He offers insight into Chinese thinking on ways to enhance mutual reassurance. This piece is part of the Brookings series, “Lost in Translation: Decoding Chinese strategic narratives.”

Does the United States need a China rethink?

In a roundtable review of Melanie Sisson's book "The United States, China, and the Competition for Control," seven scholars assess whether the U.S. and China hold irreconcilable visions of world order. Their responses highlight differing views on China’s intentions, U.S. credibility, and the evolving global balance.

"If China were to be caught in a similar situation, if it were to be in a war in the Taiwan Strait and China faced isolation from the West, then who would stand up for China? [They] have no other choice but Russia."

July 3, 2025 | Patricia Kim, The BBC Inquirer

More research and commentary

Implications of the U.S.'s strike on Iran. Ryan Hass, Patricia Kim, Yun Sun, and other Brookings experts analyze how U.S. strikes on Iran affect China's energy security, reveal the shallowness of the anti-Western alignment of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, and influence security in the Taiwan Strait.

Post-Xi succession politics. Mary Gallagher examines in World Politics Review how recent speculation about Xi Jinping's health and grip on power highlights the dangers of succession politics in autocracies and China’s opaque political system.

Rule of Law in China and the 709 Crackdown. Jonathan Czin analyzes in a CSIS virtual event the state of the Chinese legal system after the 10th anniversary of China's 709 Crackdown on human rights lawyers and advocates.

China’s uneasy partnership with Iran. Yun Sun explains in The Wire China that though China has been unsympathetic to Iran after the Israeli strikes, Beijing still sees Iran’s survival as key to balancing the U.S.'s power in the Middle East and has hope that Iran will readjust its strategic priorities down the road.

Conflict prevention in the Taiwan Strait. Susan Thornton assesses in a readout of an annual cross-Strait track-II dialogue the short- and medium-term stresses on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Reassessing U.S.-China engagement. Ryan Hass was interviewed by The Carter Center's U.S.-China Perception Monitor on his views of the evolution of U.S. strategy toward China under Obama, Biden, and Trump, and the need for principled negotiations to manage competition and avoid conflict between the two interdependent powers.

China's interests in the Middle East. Mary Gallagher discusses in World Politics Review how the EU needs to develop a politically cohesive strategy to respond to Beijing's overcapacity.

Beijing’s perception of a conflict with Taiwan. Yun Sun details on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday how China sees Taiwan’s military drills as symbolic rather than strategic and remains deterred from invading due to uncertainty about U.S. intervention and the risks of an unsuccessful conflict.

Ireland and U.S.-China relations. Mary Gallagher considers on Ireland's National Public Radio RTE the current state of U.S.-China relations under the Trump administration and implications for Ireland's foreign policy.

About the China Center at Brookings

The John L. Thornton China Center develops timely, independent analysis and policy recommendations to address long-standing challenges related to U.S.-China relations and China's development.