US CHINA Daily Dec 31: U.S.-China Relations in a Shifting Landscape

This podcast explores the evolving dynamics of U.S.-China relations, highlighting recent provocative statements from President-elect Donald Trump, President Biden's military support for Taiwan, the unintended consequences of Trump's tariffs on China's global strategy, and the historical significance of Jimmy Carter's diplomatic efforts with China. Join us as we dissect the implications of these developments on international relations and global stability.

Panama Canal Controversy May Deepen Strain In U.S-China Relations
The Hill | December 30, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump has set global nerves on edge with a trifecta of venturous provocations — musing about purchasing Greenland, reclaiming the Panama Canal and annexing Canada, even in jest. Delivered through a blend of social media flair and public bluster, these remarks blur the line between calculated strategy and impetuous theatrics.

With his return to the Oval Office nearing, Trump’s comments echo the unpredictability that defined his prior tenure. His statements have rattled allies and adversaries alike, forcing world leaders to parse his true intentions while bracing for potential fallout. This rhetoric reflects a broader trend of disruption at the core of Trump’s foreign policy ethos. By injecting ambiguity into U.S. positions on sovereignty and strategic assets, Trump is challenging established norms and unsettling traditional alliances.

Is America Testing China's 'Red Lines' On Taiwan?
The Week | December 30, 2024
President Joe Biden is trying to strengthen Taiwan's defenses before he leaves the White House. The United States, said China's leaders (who consider now-independent Taiwan to be China's territory), is undermining "peace and stability" in East Asia as a result.

American leaders, Beijing said, are "playing with fire" with the latest round of military assistance to Taiwan, Politico said. The warning came after Biden authorized up to $571 million in defense-related "material and services" to the democratic island. The Pentagon at the same time announced it had approved $295 million in military equipment sales. China's foreign ministry said that Taiwan is a "red line that must not be crossed" by the U.S., Reuters said, and added that it would take "all necessary measures" to protect its claim.

Turning Trump’s Tariffs Into China’s Opportunity
Gulf Times | December 30, 2024
When US President-elect Donald Trump’s first administration launched its trade war against China in 2018, the goal was clear. Trump wanted to reduce America’s dependence on Chinese goods, protect domestic manufacturing, and curb China’s global ambitions. Six years later, the results tell a different story: far from isolating China, U.S tariffs – many of which the Biden administration maintained – have inadvertently enlarged its global footprint. America’s strategy of containment became a springboard for Chinese firms to diversify, innovate, and expand.

This outcome helps to explain why China is calmer about renewed tariff threats than it was the first time around. Not only has China gained valuable experience from the previous negotiations with Trump; it also has been long preparing its own de-risking strategy, which entails a pivot away from the United States. Its strategic mantra now is “abandon illusions and prepare for struggle.”

How Jimmy Carter Embraced China And Changed History
BBC News | December 30, 2024
On a bright January morning in 1979, then U.S president Jimmy Carter greeted a historic guest in Washington: Deng Xiaoping, the man who unlocked China's economy. The first leader of Communist China to visit the United States, Deng had arrived the previous evening, to light snow and a welcome by the US vice-president, the secretary of state and their spouses.

It was the start of a diplomatic relationship that would forever change the world, setting the stage for China's economic ascent - and later, its rivalry with the U.S. Establishing formal ties with China was among Carter's more remarkable legacies, during a turbulent presidency that ended with one term.