The Collapse of Biden’s China Doctrine

NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE

L
ast night’s call between President Biden and Xi Jinping, their second conversation since Biden took office, might foreshadow an easing of the still-hawkish U.S. policy toward China. And not because Washington succeeded in pressuring Beijing to change its ways.

Since taking office, Biden pledged to implement a strategy that blends competition and cooperation; his administration later added confrontation, where necessary, as a pillar of that doctrine. Early on in the administration, all of this amounted to a continuation of the Trump administration’s tough line, with the major exception being climate envoy John Kerry’s talks with his Chinese counterpart. But every indication …