Deep Dish on Global Affairs US Grand Strategy in a Fractured World
Jul 10, 2025
Colin Kahl, a professor at Stanford and former Biden official, and Tom Wright from the Brookings Institution, also a former Biden official, delve into the shifting landscape of U.S. grand strategy. They discuss the dual approach towards China blending competition and diplomacy, and how this contrasts with past policies. The complexities of U.S.-Iran relations are explored, alongside the impact of the pandemic on global alliances and the urgent need for adaptability in facing nationalism and rising tensions with global powers like Russia.
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Biden's Alliance-Based China Strategy
- Biden's China strategy centers on alliances and partnerships, unlike Trump's transactional approach.
- The Indo-Pacific is seen as a whole with a focus on collective power against China.
Dual Track US-China Strategy
- Biden's China policy balances competitive actions with intensified diplomacy to avoid crises.
- It includes investing in national strength and providing alternatives to China's global influence.
Club vs Transactional China Competition
- Biden's approach envisions a 'club' of allied democracies as a team against China.
- Trump prefers bilateral, transactional deals, lacking a cohesive strategic community vision.
