lørdag 30. november 2024

Trump has assembled a team of China hawks. How will Beijing respond?

One called China an “existential threat.” Another called for a “whole-of-society effort” to confront China and was sanctioned – twice – by Beijing. A third claimed the Chinese military was “specifically dedicated to defeating the United States of America.”

US President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed cabinet is stacked with so-called China hawks who have made clear an ambition to confront America’s ascendant superpower rival in nearly every policy realm, from the economy to security. But unlike at Trump’s previous inauguration eight years ago, Chinese leaders may not be caught off-guard by a more confrontational approach. Instead, experts say this time around Beijing is more experienced in dealing with the transactional leader and the ideological hardliners around him – and may seek to establish back-channels through more China-friendly figures in Trump’s inner circle, such as Elon Musk.