Trump’s Personalized China Approach Risks Ceding Leverage to Beijing

Henrietta Levin, Senior Fellow with the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, argues that although the United States remains a formidable actor in its relationship with China, formal power does not automatically translate into leverage at the negotiating table. She warns that President Trump’s highly personalized approach toward Xi Jinping may give Beijing opportunities it can exploit. In contrast, Xi does not treat the relationship as a personal friendship. Rather, he views the United States as an adversary to be managed while China advances its domestic priorities and broader strategic objectives in Asia, including on Taiwan.

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