China Rising

Over the past year, China has been moving aggressively to secure a leading role on the global stage. Its assertiveness was on display most recently in Hong Kong, where a new law tightened Beijing's control over the semiautonomous city. China's influence has grown at the United Nations, part of an effort to overturn the norms of the U.S.-led world order. China also has strengthened its grip on the South China Sea, ramped up efforts to intimidate Taiwan, bloodied Indian troops along the disputed Himalayan border and waged a public relations offensive during the coronavirus pandemic that portrays itself as a model to emulate. An alarmed United States and other advanced democracies are challenging Beijing's territorial claims and trying to prevent China from dominating new technologies that will determine economic and military power for years to come. Through tariffs, President Trump is attempting to decouple the U.S. and Chinese economies — an effort that many economists say would cause massive dislocation in both nations if successful.