Amid a presidency beset by failures of deterrence鈥攊n Afghanistan, Ukraine, and the Middle East鈥攖he Biden administration鈥檚 China policy has stood out as a relative bright spot. The administration has strengthened U.S. alliances in Asia, restricted Chinese access to critical U.S. technologies, and endorsed the bipartisan mood for competition. Yet the administration is squandering these early gains by falling into a familiar trap: prioritizing a short-term thaw with China鈥檚 leaders at the expense of a long-term victory over their malevolent strategy. The Biden team鈥檚 policy of 鈥渕anaging competition鈥� with Beijing risks emphasizing processes over outcomes, bilateral stability at the expense of global security, and diplomatic initiatives that aim for cooperation but generate only complacency.
The United States shouldn鈥檛 manage the competition with China; it should win it. Beijing is pursuing a raft of global initiatives designed to disintegrate the West and usher in an antidemocratic order. It is underwriting expansionist dictatorships in Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela. It has more than doubled its nuclear arsenal since 2020 and is building up its conventional forces faster than any country has since World War II. These actions show that China isn鈥檛 aiming for a stalemate. Neither should America.