Whoever wins the U.S. presidential election, the foundation of U.S. policy toward China will remain intense strategic competition. But if Donald Trump wins, one major question looms: Who will his top China hands be? The answer matters because Republican China hawks have different views about the nature of U.S.-China competition and how existential it will be.
One camp believes that Trump should look to the Cold War as a playbook for a more confrontational approach to Beijing, while other potential Trump advisors, such as former senior defense official Elbridge Colby, believe that the United States should instead opt for a more modest approach focusing on maintaining a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.
Read my deep dive on this internal debate here: How Does the U.S.-China ‘Cold War’ End?
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This post is part of FP’s live coverage with global updates and analysis throughout the U.S. election. Follow along here.