Elizabeth Economy expounds on U.S. Foreign Policy Relations with China

Published July 15, 2021

The dramatic shift in China's domestic and foreign policies under Xi Jinping directly challenges America’s values and interests. The American foreign policy community’s understanding of China’s intentions and capabilities has led to a rethink and a reset of our foreign policy. The traditional approach to China of “engage but hedge” has been replaced by a policy that Elizabeth Economy calls “compete, counter, and contain.”

Additional Resources:

  • Read “The China Model: Unexceptional Exceptionalism,” by Elizabeth Economy via the Human Prosperity Project. Available here.
  • Read “An Order Aligned with Chinese Values,” by Elizabeth Economy via the Lowy Institute. Available here.
  • Read “China’s Neo-Maoist Moment,” by Elizabeth Economy via Foreign Affairs. Available here.

Cast

Elizabeth Economy

Elizabeth Economy

Related

Articles

Two Kinds Of War: Ukraine, Gaza, And The Strategic Watershed

The 2025 National Security Strategy has ignited debates about several distinctive assertions, especially the choice of giving priority to the Western Hemisphere, thereby correcting the insufficient attention Washington has long paid to Latin America. In addition, the document may indicate a softening of the perception of China, and it repeats the appeal to European allies to do more for their own defense. Of particular note, furthermore, is the identification of culture as a dimension of security.

October 23, 2026

Articles

Trump’s Capitulation To Putin Is Undermining US National Security

The president’s admiration for the Russian dictator erodes American interests and values.

October 23, 2026

Articles

Who Needs The Bomb?

The Purpose of Nuclear Deterrence.

October 20, 2026