American reflections on the engagement with China and responses to president Xi’s new model of major power relations

This article investigates US responses to President Xi Jinping’s new model of major power relations in the context of American reflections on the engagement policy toward China. It argues that while the Obama administration endorsed the goal of avoiding confrontation between the two countries, it disagreed about how to reach the goal. Facing pressure to stand up against China due to the perceived failure of engagement policy, the administration became increasingly frank on the competition with China. The Sino-US strategic mistrust intensified and the chances of mishaps triggering an escalation increased when President Obama turned the presidency to Donald Trump. (J Contemp China/GIGA)