Publications

Today, the United States is locked in a deepening great power rivalry with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In recent years, this contest has taken on many names. It was defined as “great power competition” during the Trump administration’s first term in office,[1] and subsequently first as “long-term strategic competition” and then as “managed competition” during the presidency of Joseph Biden.[2] In the second Trump administration, the terminology has shifted significantly, as has the emphasis. At their May 2026 summit in Beijing, President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the need for “strategic stability”—that is, the management of bilateral relations through a more predictable strategic relationship.