List of U.S.-China Competition articles
U.S.-China Competition
Blinken-Xi Talks Highlight Continued Areas of Disagreement
The U.S. secretary of state and the Chinese president tried to stabilize U.S.-China relations, but serious areas of disagreement took the spotlight.
Blinken Kicks Off Diplomatic Mission in China
U.S. aid to Taiwan, a new TikTok law, and Beijing’s ties with the Kremlin are at the forefront of this week’s visit.
U.S. Allies Relieved After Senate Passes Long-Delayed Aid Bill
But the fact it took so long to pass has some worried about future support.
Biden’s ‘Coalitions of the Willing’ Foreign-Policy Doctrine
The latest flurry of U.S. diplomacy shows how the president is all about “minilateralism.”
America’s Flailing Industrial Policy Can Take Lessons From China
Beijing’s experiences are a road map for both opportunities and traps.
Janet Yellen Has a Three-Body Problem With China
The U.S. treasury secretary blasted Beijing’s industrial overcapacity, but it’s a tough message to carry off convincingly.
Did Russia Come Close to Using a Nuclear Device in 2022?
CNN reporter Jim Sciutto on the return of great-power conflict.
Washington Wants In on the Deep-Sea Mining Game
The scramble for critical minerals is heating up under the sea, but lawmakers fear the United States could be left behind.
The Philippines Announces Plans to Counter Chinese Coast Guard Attacks
Beijing blames Manila for deteriorating ties as the Philippines seeks closer relations with Washington.
Washington Goes All-In on a TikTok Ban
China hawks’ next target is Gen Z’s favorite app.
China Wants to Weaken, Not Replace, the U.S. in the Middle East
Beijing doesn’t want the costs of being a regional hegemon.
What the Red Sea Crisis Reveals About China’s Middle East Strategy
While China has indeed become a regional player, it is still playing a remarkably self-interested game.
Mexico Is America’s Answer to China’s Belt and Road
Growing economic integration with Latin America could help the United States avoid the fate of an aging China.
How China Is Leveraging the Israel-Hamas War
The growing divide between Washington and the global south is playing out in Beijing’s favor.
Why Washington Wants Americans to Care About Taiwan
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi on U.S. involvement in conflicts abroad: “We have to be equipped.”
Will Taiwan’s Next President Be the China Hawk Washington Wants?
The Biden administration hopes Lai Ching-te will take the threat of a cross-strait invasion as seriously as the U.S. does.
This Is a ‘5-Alarm Fire Right Now’
FP learns why a war that isn’t on yet might matter more than one that’s been raging for years, in a chat with Elbridge Colby.
U.S.-China Meetings Aim to Defuse Tensions Ahead of Taiwan Election
Blinken met with a top Chinese official slated to be the next foreign minister.
A Chinese EV Company Has Taken Tesla’s Crown
Beijing has gone “all in” on electric cars—rattling Washington and Brussels.
Biden Thought 2023 Was Bad
The U.S. president’s challenges this year won’t stop at the waterfront.
5 Issues to Watch in 2024
Our columnists share the most important developments on their radar in the year ahead.
Biden and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year
The U.S. president’s foreign-policy strategy came undone in 2023.
Were You Team Transitory—or Team Doom?
Postgame analysis of 2023’s great inflation debate.
Why a Bipartisan House Committee Wants to Further Cut Ties With Beijing
A new report from the influential select committee on China has flown under the radar.
The Global Credibility Gap
No one power or group can uphold the international order anymore—and that means much more geopolitical uncertainty ahead.
U.S. Engagement With China in 3 Charts
From Kissinger to Kerry, Washington’s top diplomat once visited Beijing regularly. Not anymore.
The Year-End AUKUS Push
Remember that nuclear submarine deal with Australia?
The Masterminds
Washington wants to get tough on China, and the leaders of the House China Committee are in the driver’s seat.
Why COP28 Could Be the Most Contentious in Years
Prepare for the first real global debate on the future of fossil fuels.
This Isn’t a Honeymoon Phase for the U.S. and China
After last week’s Xi-Biden meeting, the world’s two chief powers have merely agreed to a cessation of hostilities.
How China and the U.S. Are Competing on Trade
Biden’s long-awaited meeting with Xi is a reminder of how most big economies are inextricably tied to both Washington and Beijing.
The Big Takeaways From the Biden-Xi APEC Meeting
From new panda promises to failed AI compromises, here are the biggest wins and losses of this week’s U.S.-China tête-à-tête.
The U.S.-China Hotline Rings Again
Biden and Xi agreed to restart military-to-military talks, but not much else.
Biden and Xi Try the Personal Touch
Does face-to-face diplomacy ever change anything?
Biden, Xi Hold In-Person Talks at APEC Forum
Efforts to reestablish communication channels dominated the highly anticipated summit.
Can Xi and Biden Repair U.S.-China Ties?
Their meeting in San Francisco will reportedly lead to pledges on areas of mutual concern, as tensions remain high.
What America’s Top China Commission Is Worried About
Technology, trade, and Taiwan dominate in a new report to Congress.
Don’t Expect Much From Biden and Xi
Having nothing to write home about would be the preferred outcome for both sides.
What to Expect From the Xi-Biden Meeting
While deliverables are likely to be modest, Wednesday’s meeting could yield progress on shared priorities.
China Pledged to ‘Strictly Control’ Coal. The Opposite Happened.
What Beijing’s about-face on coal power means for climate change—and how the world can push back.
Government Shutdown Threatens Key U.S. Initiative in Pacific
Chaos in Congress jeopardizes Biden’s efforts to re-up ties with Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.
China Brings Out the Big Guns in the South China Sea
The Chinese navy and maritime militia are using water cannons, laser dazzlers, and harassing tactics to try to push smaller nations out of the area.
State Department Taps New Top China Official
Veteran diplomat Mark Lambert will lead the new “China House.”
Biden’s Big Bet on Japan and South Korea
Can rising enemies bring old frenemies together?
The State Department’s China Shortfall Revealed
Diplomats need more money to counter the other superpower in the Indo-Pacific, but they may have to wait.
Is China Gaining a Lead in the Tech Arms Race?
A new report warns China has some big advantages over the U.S.
America’s Goal Should Be a Democratic China
The lack of a long-term vision keeps Washington’s China policies confused.
How to Talk About China Without Talking About China
Team Biden’s split-screen messaging on China at home versus abroad may pay off.
Biden’s AUKUS Point Man to Exit
With the big sub deal in hand, it’s no longer Miller time.
Biden Budget Expected to Stiff the Indo-Pacific
The Pentagon’s top military command charged with countering China believes it’s getting shortchanged—again.
Washington’s China Hawks Take Flight
The story of how decades of U.S. engagement with China gave way to estrangement.
U.S. Looks to Check Chinese Advances at Cambodian Naval Base
You can’t lay a string of pearls if you can’t get full access.
U.S.-China Trade War Could Heat Up
A congressional commission wants Biden to rethink the trade relationship with China.
China’s Taiwan Saber-Rattling Is the New Normal
China has slashed military-to-military talks and climate dialogues after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit.
Pelosi’s Visit Risks Turning Taiwan Into a Political Football, Aides Worry
The U.S. House speaker puts both Washington and Beijing in a bind.
NATO Steps Up to China Challenge
The 30-nation alliance is worried about a growing strategic partnership between Beijing and Moscow.
The U.S. and China Haven’t Divorced Just Yet
Decoupling is all the rage. But a strong dollar and long-term corporate ties make the relationship as co-dependent as ever.
Washington Worries China Is Winning Over Thailand
One of the United States’ oldest security partners in Asia is increasingly marching to Beijing’s music.
Pentagon Hopes for More China Hotlines
“This meeting is in part about setting guardrails on the relationship,” a senior U.S. defense official said.
Congress Splits Over How to Address LGBT Rights in China
A landmark report on human rights in China was delayed six months over a behind-the-scenes impasse on LGBTQ rights.
What Biden Can Learn From Nixon About China
Fifty years later, Washington may be reversing a diplomatic masterstroke by driving Beijing and Moscow together.
Is Biden’s Foreign Policy Grade A Material?
More than 30 experts grade the U.S. president’s first year of foreign policy.
Pentagon Worries About Chinese Buildup Near India
China’s new airports and highways near the border have put officials on edge.
Pentagon Quietly Puts More Troops in Taiwan
Deeper U.S. engagement comes as the wisdom of strategic ambiguity is increasingly questioned.
Biden Struggles to Stick to the Script on Taiwan
Not for the first time, the U.S. president misspoke about the island at the center of U.S.-China tensions.
Biden and Xi Pause Saber Rattling for First Face-to-Face
Breakthroughs remain elusive, but both sides agreed on need to manage tensions.
China Urged Republicans to Cancel Taiwan Visit
Beijing warned U.S. lawmakers the trip would erode the “One China” status quo.
What to Expect From the Biden-Xi Virtual Summit
Heated words, frank conversations, and little end in sight to the world’s biggest showdown.
The U.S. Is Getting Taiwan Ready to Fight on the Beaches
Biden continues Trump’s “porcupine strategy” to harden the island’s defenses.
The Pentagon Wants to Talk About China’s Nukes
China prepares to fight and win a war against the United States, the U.S. Defense Department said in its annual review.
‘Now You’re in a Situation’: Democrats Pressure Biden on Taiwan
Moderates want to give U.S. President Joe Biden more war powers to stave off a Chinese invasion. Progressives don’t agree.
State Department Plans ‘China House’ to Counter Beijing
Some fear larger State Department China desk could be a “massive bureaucratic blob.”
U.S. Seeking Basing in Australia After Submarine Deal
The Biden administration is hoping to rotate fighters and bombers to the land Down Under.
U.S. and China Reach Deal to Block Myanmar’s Junta From U.N.
The informal deal offers common ground with Beijing and a blow to Myanmar’s hopes of legitimacy.
Is China’s New U.S. Ambassador a ‘Wolf Warrior’—or a Fox?
Although close to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Qin Gang doesn’t quite fit the mold of hostile Chinese diplomacy.
How the U.S. Learned to Stop Worrying About the Pacific and Love the ‘Indo-Pacific’
The United States has a new lens for its rivalry with China.
Biden Loses Top Pentagon Asia Hand
Yet more turnover at the Pentagon for the administration.
Will the United States and Europe Break Up Over China?
Biden and Merkel will make all the right noises at their meeting this week. But deep transatlantic tensions persist.
U.S. Blunts China’s Vaccine Diplomacy in Latin America
The Biden administration ships millions of vaccines to the region as its public health crisis worsens.
A Confused Biden Team Risks Losing Southeast Asia
If the region continues to drift toward China, Washington has only itself to blame.
Biden’s Afghanistan Pullout Could Make the China Problem Harder
No, a complete withdrawal will not ease the U.S. pivot to China.
In Historic Shift, Biden Aligns Allies on China
But can he get them to act, too?
Biden’s Worried About Ukraine’s China Fling
Beijing is snapping up Ukrainian defense firms. That bodes ill for the would-be NATO member.
U.S.-China Spat Over Taiwan Extends to Vaccine Diplomacy
The United States is providing hundreds of thousands of vaccines right in China’s front yard.
Asia’s Stakes in the Biden-Putin Summit
Geopolitical shifts have put a U.S.-Russian detente in the interest of much of Asia.
Pacific Commanders Want More Money for Biden’s Asia Pivot
Military leaders want to “seize the initiative” against China.
Pentagon Faces Tense Fight Over Pacific Pivot
The Defense Department is in an internal tug of war over the practicality of putting more U.S. troops in the range of Chinese missiles.
U.S. Nears Extension on Philippine Basing Pact
But experts say Duterte isn’t done courting China.
Biden Looks for Defense Hotline With China
The United States says it’s ready to call China in a crisis. Will Beijing pick up?
As U.S. Hardens Line on Beijing, Taiwan’s Stock Rises in Washington
Taiwan doesn’t have a U.S. embassy. But it’s got plenty of influence—and more to come.
China and Russia Turn Deeper Ties into a Military Challenge for Biden
“You face a two-front war where we don’t have a two-front military,” said one former Trump official.
Great-Power Competition Is a Recipe for Disaster
The latest poorly defined buzzword in Washington is leading pundits and policymakers down a dangerous path.
Biden Looks to Contain China—but Where’s the Asian NATO?
The United States needs a game plan for a continent that’s home to two-thirds of the world’s population and its biggest rival.
The U.S. Doesn’t Need China’s Collapse to Win
A misguided theory of great-power competition will only lead to grief.
Will Biden’s Approach to China and Russia Work?
The new administration’s interim national security guidance gets many things right—but it has its shortcomings.
U.S. Seeks to Counter China’s Full-Court Press in Asia
Top U.S. officials on trip to Asia under pressure to push back on Taiwan and maritime disputes.
Blinken and Austin in Japan to Bolster Asian Allies
The Biden administration wants to prod Japan more on defense and resolve tensions between Tokyo and Seoul.
Quad Summit’s Vaccine Deal Is Biden’s Bold First Move in Asia
It’s a smart step to counter China, but the next ones won’t be as easy.
Friday’s Quad Summit Will Show if It’s Just a Talking Shop
The fledgling Indo-Pacific alliance needs a mission—and its only meaningful one is maritime security.
To Face Off Against China, Copy Its Playbook
Biden should unite allies with a giant “Made in the Free World” project.