What China Thinks It Can Gain From a Disordered World: A Conversation With Oriana Skylar Mastro

China’s strategy for navigating global turmoil centers on long-term domestic self-sufficiency and the pursuit of great power status, a trajectory largely resistant to the volatility of American politics. While China views the current international environment as challenging, it remains committed to its core objectives, including the potential use of force against Taiwan. This contingency depends heavily on China’s assessment of its own military capabilities, specifically its ability to execute a *fait accompli* before the United States can effectively intervene. Although China’s partnerships with Russia and North Korea lack the formal structure of Western alliances, these relationships provide China with strategic advantages and complicate U.S. deterrence. Strengthening the international order requires the United States to prioritize a more survivable force posture in the Indo-Pacific and deeper coordination with regional allies to counter China’s increasingly assertive military and economic influence.