There’s rare bipartisan consensus in Washington: China is a threat to be countered. Cornell professor Jessica Chen Weiss says the American approach could lock both countries into an escalatory spiral.This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Robert Mounsey and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King.Transcript at vox.com/todayexplainedSupport Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jessica Chen Weiss is the David M. Lampton Professor of China Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS, advocating for a less confrontational U.S. approach to China. She discusses the 'China Consensus' and its limitations, envisioning a more constructive U.S.-China relationship. Jessica highlights diverging views within the Republican and Democratic parties regarding China policy and emphasizes the need for realistic strategies, especially concerning Taiwan. She calls for engaging dialogue while balancing deterrence and diplomacy.

Bonnie Glaser, Jessica Chen Weiss, and Thomas Christensen discuss the role of credible assurances in effective deterrence. They emphasize the need for conditioning the threat of punishment and outline necessary actions for the US, China, and Taiwan. The podcast explores the challenges of providing credible assurances, balancing assurances and threats in Taiwan, and maintaining consistent actions and rhetoric.