The U.S.-China relationship is a “cooperative rivalry,” in which the terms of competition will require equal attention to both sides of the oxymoron.
Then-Vice President Joe Biden raised his glass to Chinese President Xi Jinping at a 2015 luncheon. Credit: U.S. Department of State
In his recent address to the U.S. Congress, President Joe Biden warned that China is deadly serious about trying to become the world’s most significant power. But Biden also declared that autocrats will not win the future; America will. If mishandled, the U.S.-China great-power competition could be dangerous. But if the United States plays it right, the rivalry with China could be healthy.
The success of Biden’s China policy depends partly on China, but also on how the U.S. changes. Maintaining America’s technological lead will be crucial, and will require investing in human capital as well as in research and development. Biden has proposed both. At the same time, the U.S. must cope with new transnational threats such as climate change and a pandemic that has killed more Americans than all the country’s wars, combined, since 1945. Tackling these challenges will require cooperation with China and others.
Biden thus faces a daunting agenda, and is treating th
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from David Barboza, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Shanghai correspondent for The New York Times.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
A long line of multinationals are now knocking on India's door. But if there's any chance of them successfully diversifying away from China's highly skilled workforce and well-oiled logistical machine, they'll need to learn from the industries that came before them.
The former Defense Secretary under George W. Bush and Barack Obama talks about Xi Jinping's relations with the PLA, Taiwan and how the U.S. should deal with China and Russia.
The Global Intelligence Platform used by The Wire China
