There are two ways for a powerful nation to contain an adversary that is increasingly challenging its core interests. One is to contain the foe by seeking to isolate and squeeze it, including bringing its economy and security under pressure through sanctions and strategic alliances. The other way is to seek discreet containment while maintaining normal relations in trade and diplomacy.

President Trump’s pivot to rein in an expansionist China is just beginning, but it is already apparent that his approach — in a significant departure from Cold War-era overt antagonism or former President Joe Biden’s Russia policy — is likely to embrace the second path. Trump’s approach will seek to limit the influence and power of China without resorting to open hostility.

Trump has sought early on in his term to halt what he has called the “senseless war” in Ukraine, largely because the conflict has diverted American attention from pressing challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and made China the big winner. A Russia-Ukraine ceasefire would allow the U.S. to shift strategic focus and military resources from Europe to the Indo-Pacific, a pivotal region in shaping the new global order.

This was underscored by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Feb. 12 warning to Europe that “the U.S. will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependency” and that Europe must take “responsibility for its own security” by leading “from the front” so that America can prioritize “deterring war with China” in the Indo-Pacific.

America’s 80-year run as the world’s preeminent power is under increasing........

© The Hill