Trump on China: speak loudly and carry a tiny stick
Xi’s China is so far defying gravity. Despite its history of despotic autocratic party rule, Xi has managed to govern in a way that has promoted economic strength while projecting international resilience. Xi has kept his eye on the ball, while Trump has kept one eye on the mirror and the other on Fox News, appointing loyal incompetents and relying on party subservience to mask the consequences.
“While strategists in Washington debate whether China has peaked, their counterparts in China are having an analogous debate about the United States—and reaching strikingly similar conclusions. China’s state media has diagnosed the United States with “hegemonic anxiety,” suggesting that Washington cannot cope with the possibility that it must face a multipolar world. And whereas U.S. thinkers such as Hal Brands have argued in their analyses of China that a power that has peaked is likely to lash out in violent ways, Chinese observers independently conclude that it is Washington that is anxious about preserving its position—and is increasingly willing to employ any means necessary to sustain its preeminence.”
*snip*
“. . . if anything, Xi has gained confidence because he can point to tangible results in the form of technological breakthroughs. And Xi can afford to be patient because his is a long-term project, and he does not face the erratic fluctuations of an unstable political system swinging from one extreme to the other.
“Indeed, a growing number of officials in Washington employ Cold War–style rhetoric when discussing China yet demonstrate little appetite to take on the difficult and expensive tasks, such as refurbishing the defense industrial base and shoring up key supply chains, that would help the United States outcompete China. If this dynamic continues, the United States will be left pursuing what might be called a “Reverse Roosevelt” strategy: speaking loudly about American power while wielding an ever-smaller stick. While Xi has been disciplined and methodical in his efforts to bolster China’s strategic position, the United States has been distracted and incoherent. Misreading Xi Jinping is, ultimately, part of the failure to address the problems facing the United States itself.”
Ultimately, China is far too big and powerful to be bullied by paper tigers like Donald Trump. And as Trump destroys the dollar with debt and inflation and endangers US national security by undermining the military, CIA, FBI and CDC, Xi maintains and extends China’s military power and its internal surveillance state. Finally, America’s strengths used to lie in its alliances and cooperation with western democracies, and Trump is severing those ties. China will survive Xi. Will America survive Trump?
Trump is losing to Xi’s China
“While strategists in Washington debate whether China has peaked, their counterparts in China are having an analogous debate about the United States—and reaching strikingly similar conclusions. China’s state media has diagnosed the United States with “hegemonic anxiety,” suggesting that Washington cannot cope with the possibility that it must face a multipolar world. And whereas U.S. thinkers such as Hal Brands have argued in their analyses of China that a power that has peaked is likely to lash out in violent ways, Chinese observers independently conclude that it is Washington that is anxious about preserving its position—and is increasingly willing to employ any means necessary to sustain its preeminence.”
*snip*
“. . . if anything, Xi has gained confidence because he can point to tangible results in the form of technological breakthroughs. And Xi can afford to be patient because his is a long-term project, and he does not face the erratic fluctuations of an unstable political system swinging from one extreme to the other.
“Indeed, a growing number of officials in Washington employ Cold War–style rhetoric when discussing China yet demonstrate little appetite to take on the difficult and expensive tasks, such as refurbishing the defense industrial base and shoring up key supply chains, that would help the United States outcompete China. If this dynamic continues, the United States will be left pursuing what might be called a “Reverse Roosevelt” strategy: speaking loudly about American power while wielding an ever-smaller stick. While Xi has been disciplined and methodical in his efforts to bolster China’s strategic position, the United States has been distracted and incoherent. Misreading Xi Jinping is, ultimately, part of the failure to address the problems facing the United States itself.”
Ultimately, China is far too big and powerful to be bullied by paper tigers like Donald Trump. And as Trump destroys the dollar with debt and inflation and endangers US national security by undermining the military, CIA, FBI and CDC, Xi maintains and extends China’s military power and its internal surveillance state. Finally, America’s strengths used to lie in its alliances and cooperation with western democracies, and Trump is severing those ties. China will survive Xi. Will America survive Trump?
Trump is losing to Xi’s China
RAND Corporation: “The geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China embodies risks of outright military conflict, economic warfare, and political subversion, as well as the danger that tensions between the world’s two leading powers will destroy the potential for achieving a global consensus on such issues as climate and artificial intelligence. Moderating this rivalry therefore emerges as a critical goal, both for the United States and China and for the wider world.
Each side accepts that some degree of modus vivendi must necessarily be part of the relationship.
Each side accepts the essential political legitimacy of the other.”
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA4107-1.html
Instead of being the unrivaled global hegemon–the goal of the New American Century, RAND recommends finding a way to live together with China. What a concept! Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, etc. won’t be pleased!
China a power that has peaked and likely to lash out in violent ways is equal parts sub-conscious projection and wishful thinking, with a slice of war mongering
I hate it when I’m right: 25 years ago I made what may have been a mistake career-wise when I predicted in a classroom/computer_lab that Asia would be the center of influence in the 21st century, though I was commented on technology. Never-the-less.
I also predicted the Internet would be the entertainment medium of the 21st century …
The United States is well past “peak empire”. Empires have an average life span of 250 years.
“The Half Life of Empire” by Blair Fix written on May 4th, 2025 is an interesting take on both the U.S., Great Britain and China.
https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2025/05/04/the-half-life-of-empire/
Steven:
Who are you and why do you have angrybearblog.com in your log on?
Steven:
Never mind. I see who you are. I am not used to having someone place Angry Bear Blog in their log on. Plus, we did not have to approve you. Have you been here before?