A common understanding of why U.S.-China relations have cratered since the 2016 election of former President Donald Trump is that the world’s two largest economies had gone from being complementary to being increasingly competitive and zero-sum. But even in this economic relationship, there are still ways to find common ground.
U.S. President Joe Biden hosted the leaders of Japan and the Philippines yesterday, in a meeting centered on shared security interests with an eye toward China’s increasing regional and global influence. This narrow focus, however, highlights the lack of seriousness paid to the escalating crisis in Myanmar.
At a time when free trade deals are seen as toxic across the political spectrum, President Joe Biden has promised a “worker-centered trade policy” that aims to create domestic jobs. But from the beginning, his administration’s approach has been met with a great deal of skepticism both from domestic critics and U.S. trade partners.
