The Trump administration presented a new National Security Strategy. Unlike the 2017 National Security Strategy, which described China as “America’s most significant geopolitical challenge,” the newly released document does not frame China in these terms. In previous administrations’ reports, strong emphasis was placed on China’s authoritarian system and human rights violations. By contrast, the Trump administration’s strategy focuses primarily on US–China economic competition, while identifying the prevention of conflict in the Indo-Pacific region as one of the key priorities in bilateral relations.
The document states that the United States made a mistake by opening its market to Chinese investment and encouraging China’s economic growth in the expectation that China would integrate into a “rules-based international order.” According to the Trump administration, China instead accumulated wealth and global power and, rather than strengthening the global order, consolidated its own strategic advantages. This trend is described as resulting in a “fundamental imbalance” in US–China trade relations. As the document notes, “what began in 1979 as trade between the world’s richest and one of its poorest economies has now become competition between nearly equal players.” Consequently, the strategy aims to restore America’s economic independence by re-establishing reciprocity and fairness in trade.
According to Wen-Ti Sung, a researcher at the Atlantic Council, the goal of the document is to “restore the balance between interests and values.” For Trump, the new priority is America’s own national development, a vision aligned with the Monroe Doctrine and the overarching concept of “America First.” Under this approach, China is no longer viewed as an ideological or geopolitical rival, as both dimensions have been replaced by an economic focus.
China’s response to this shift toward economic pragmatism has been generally positive, though cautious. The spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun, adopted a neutral and restrained tone, emphasizing the importance of “peaceful coexistence” and “win-win cooperation.” At the same time, skeptics in China argue that the softening of US rhetoric may reflect an attempt by Washington to concentrate on securing its own advantages in bilateral trade, and therefore does not rule out the possibility of restrictive economic measures against China.
Notably, the only geopolitical issue examined in detail in the document is Taiwan. For the Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan represents a “red line.” At present, Washington maintains close unofficial relations with Taiwan and, under existing agreements, is obligated to provide the island with defensive arms. The strategy identifies a potential conflict over Taiwan as a major economic challenge, as approximately one-third of global maritime trade passes annually through the South China Sea. Any conflict or blockade around Taiwan would therefore threaten US economic interests.
Responsibility for preventing a Taiwan-related conflict is shared with other countries, including the European Union. The strategy calls on US allies to increase their defense spending and emphasizes the importance of providing US forces with access to ports and other military facilities. In particular, allies such as Japan and South Korea are expected to ensure broader access for US military personnel and infrastructure.
Author: Mariam Arabashvili
