Cheng Li articulates that although the Biden administration has largely continued the Trump administration's hawkish approach toward China, it has also made international coalition building a primary foreign policy initiative. Similar to years past, the U.S. now confronts a Cold War-like bloc including China, Russia and Iran, and to counter this trend, the U.S. must work to distinguish between strategies of “coalition-driven competition” and “Cold War-style confrontation.”
David Dollar is joined by Don Clark, a contributor to The New York Times, to discuss the factors that triggered the recent supply issues and the potential implications for the future of chip manufacturing in the United States and across the global economy.
Ryan Hass argues that the scale of the China challenge can be incrementally useful in alerting the U.S. body politic to the importance of undertaking domestic renewal and rebuilding leadership on the world stage, but the project will ultimately need to be justified on its own terms.
Shanghai's dynamic art scene. "The art gallery boom in Shanghai reflects the evolving cultural dynamics and aesthetic interests and preferences of the growing middle class in the city," Cheng Li writes.
A grand strategy of resolute restraint.Michael O'Hanlon summarizes the key argument of his new book, "The Art of War in the Age of Peace," in saying that "a Biden national security strategy should be resolute in its commitment to defend the core territories, populations, polities, and economies of U.S. allies, as well as the free and open skies and oceans on which the global economy depends. However, he argues that "America should not try to cover the whole Earth with a U.S. security blanket. That is especially true for areas near Russia or China."
Asia's new foreign investment landscape. In East Asia Forum, David Dollar writes that although the pandemic and recession have caused much speculation about the future of foreign investment and global supply chains in Asia, the change in the foreign investment and international production landscape seems likely to be less than politicians and others have supposed, while China's economic presence and importance has grown in the region.
Recent webinars
Reshaping U.S.-China engagement. On May 14, the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings hosted Cheng Li for a presentation on the findings from his new book: "Middle Class Shanghai," followed by a panel discussion with leading academics who examined the characteristics and implications of China's burgeoning middle class for the country and the world.
Safeguarding Asian American inclusion and belonging. On May 20, the Brookings Institution hosted an event in honor of AAPI Month, featuring keynote remarks from U.S. Representatives Grace Meng and Andy Kim and moderated discussions on the implications of recent events involving the AAPI community on domestic and foreign policy.
How China views the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Yun Sun authored an in-depth article for War on the Rocks examining China's strategic assessment of how America's planned withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021 will impact Beijing's relations with Kabul regarding regional security, economic goals, and broader diplomatic objectives in the region.
Biden's relationship with China. The South China Morning Post spoke with Jeffrey A. Bader on the gradual erosion of media freedom in Mainland China. "For years, Beijing has seen the Western media 'not as free institutions but rather as tools of Western domination' and been keen to create a new international order to 'break the Western media monopoly,'" said Bader.
U.S. strategic ambiguity towards Taiwan. The Financial Times interviewed Ryan Hass on the White House's decision to tone down motions towards a stance of "Strategic Clarity" with Taipei, affirming that there were "few issues...upon which precision of language carries greater consequence than Taiwan."
About the China Center
The John L. Thornton China Centerdevelops timely, independent analysis and policy recommendations to help U.S. and Chinese leaders address key long-term challenges, both in terms of U.S.-China relations and China's internal development.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brookings Institution campus in Washington, D.C. is currently closed and all events are virtual only. For more information on the Institution's response, read our full guidance here.
The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
