Is There a Trade-Off?

I think that recognition of the interconnected nature of the world in which we live is a given. You can't separate European relations with Europe from relations with Asia. The NSS very explicitly notes that some parts of the world are uneasy with the competition between the United States and the world's largest autocracies. This includes statements that sort of reassure, reassure, I mean, it's really unclear who this reassurance is for.