Strategic Stalemate: Ryan Hass on How Beijing Sees America — and Trump

China’s evolving global vision centers on a transition from participant to architect, aiming to reshape the international political order around sovereign equality and the global majority while hollowing out liberal democratic norms. Beijing currently operates under a "strategic stalemate," characterized by deliberate, cautious restraint in its foreign policy to avoid overextension and mitigate risks of conflict with the United States. Despite rhetorical alignment with developing nations, China faces credibility challenges, particularly regarding its stance on Russian sovereignty and its own export-driven economic pressures. While Washington and Beijing maintain an uneasy calm, both sides are racing to reduce mutual vulnerabilities in critical sectors like AI and semiconductors. Ryan Hass, Director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution, emphasizes that both nations are prioritizing stability to manage significant domestic challenges and avoid costly, unpredictable escalations.