From Taiwan to the South China Sea to malign influence operations, a longtime U.S.-China scholar sees trouble on the horizon
Posted: January 16th, 2025
EXPERT INTERVIEW — As the U.S. prepares for its transfer of power, there is one global security issue on which the Biden and Trump Administrations would agree: China represents the most profound long-term threat to U.S. national security. That’s an opinion shared by officials in the intelligence community, the diplomatic corps, and the national security teams for both leaders — though they may differ markedly when it comes to what to do about the threat.
The issue is complicated by the range of threats: from the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, to China-linked cyberattacks, to China’s support for Russia, Iran and North Korea in a so-called “Axis of Authoritarians.” Meanwhile, scholars of the U.S.-China relationship say it has reached a historical low point, more than four decades after Washington established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC).