The United States and China at the Outset of the Trump Era

The United States and China at the Outset of the Trump Era:

A Rocky Start, with Far-Reaching Potential

by Assaf Orion, INSS and Niv Horesh, Durham University, England

The election of Donald Trump heralds a change in United States policy, and relations with China are emerging as a major focus of the new administration. It appears that each side is seeking to identify the other’s weaknesses during a mutually sensitive transition period, and to maximize benefits through brinkmanship. Yet it is possible that Trump will heed the advice of the State Department and strive for calm between the two powers and seek to settle their differences constructively. For Israel, the rising tensions between the United States and China have mostly negative potential. When tensions between Washington and Beijing spill over from the economic sphere to the military-security sphere, as is the case at present, there is a real risk that Israel, though careful to operate strictly within existing understandings on security matters, could see its relations with both sides undermined. Therefore, the government of Israel would do well to discuss not only Middle East issues with the incoming US administration, but also the triangle of Israel-US-China relations, and preempt possible tensions through quiet, professional channels of communication, far from the sound and fury of the public media.

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