Washington’s Silence in Asia Is a Gift to Beijing

Trump’s reticence is not accidental. Beyond a narrow set of economic issues, the U.S. president has evinced little interest in China’s profound challenge to the United States, much less how that is playing out in the Indo-Pacific. In a sharp departure from bipartisan policy over the past decade, including Trump’s first term, the new administration has spent the past several months in a coordinated effort to curry favor with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of Trump’s planned trip to Beijing in April.

As the world braces for U.S. President Donald Trump’s next foreign policy shock, a far quieter American defeat has been unfolding in Asia. Since the fall, the Trump administration has stood silent as China unleashed its fury on both Japan and Taiwan, leaving two close U.S. allies to fend for themselves.

As the world braces for U.S. President Donald Trump’s next foreign policy shock, a far quieter American defeat has been unfolding in Asia. Since the fall, the Trump administration has stood silent as China unleashed its fury on both Japan and Taiwan, leaving two close U.S. allies to fend for themselves.

Trump’s reticence is not accidental. Beyond a narrow set of economic issues, the U.S. president has evinced little interest in China’s profound challenge to the United States, much less how that is playing out in the Indo-Pacific. In a sharp departure from bipartisan policy over the past decade, including Trump’s first term, the new administration has spent the past several months in a coordinated effort to curry favor with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of Trump’s planned trip to Beijing in April.

For the sake of what will be, at best, a lavish welcome and a modest trade deal, Trump has softened the United States’ China policy across the board, including by rolling back essential export controls on sensitive semiconductors and scrapping plans to levy sanctions on China for large-scale cyber intrusions in the United States. And that’s all in addition to leaving U.S. allies in the lurch.

Trump may see little downside in abandoning allies in the cold, but senior officials in his administration and China watchers on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill surely know better. Unfortunately, they are running out of time. To avoid lasting damage to the United States’ position in Asia, leaders in the administration (however unlikely) and Congress must step up to prevent a quiet surrender to Xi.

It’s not just European partners who are struggling. Washington’s Indo-Pacific allies have good reason to worry. Xi has already manipulated Trump into showing the region that the United States will slink away from long-standing interests