BIG IDEA | ‘From Beijing’s perspective, the hawkish approach to China in the final year of the Trump administration revealed that the Trump team sought to defeat and destroy China in much the same way that the United States defeated the Soviet Union in the Cold War.’

‘From Beijing’s perspective, the hawkish approach to China in the final year of the Trump administration revealed that the Trump team sought to defeat and destroy China in much the same way that the United States defeated the Soviet Union in the Cold War.’

‘Their assessment was based on three main observations:’

1. ‘On the economic front, the Trump administration aimed to implement systemic and complete decoupling with China.’
2. ‘On the political and ideological front, the Trump administration pursued regime change to overthrow CCP rule.’
3. ‘On the military and security front, through the Taipei Act of 2019 and other measures aimed at undermining the “one China policy,” Beijing feared that the U.S. would move toward supporting Taiwan independence.’

‘China understandably reacted assertively to these three policy trajectories, which inflicted significant damage on the bilateral relationship, with both sides increasingly viewing geopolitics as zero-sum.’

‘Some of the Trump administration’s policy initiatives provoked strong nationalistic sentiment in China, arguably playing in the Chinese Communist Party leadership’s favor.’

• ‘These Trump administration initiatives included sensationalizing China as a “whole-of-society threat” to the U.S., targeting Chinese and Chinese American scientists, claiming that Beijing is “weaponizing” Chinese students enrolled in U.S. universities, employing phrases like “Chinese virus” or “Kung Flu,” imposing sanctions on senior Chinese officials for their roles in cracking down on the democratic movement in Hong Kong, canceling the Peace Corps and Fulbright programs in China, ordering China to close its consulate in Houston, and restricting members of the Chinese Communist Party and their families—about 300 million people—from visiting the United States.’