Trump’s security strategy is making a hard pivot on China. Why now?

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as they hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit at Gimhae International Airport, South Korea, on October 30, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

When the Trump administration unveiled its new national security strategy (NSS) last week, many experts noticed one major shift: how it talks – or more importantly, doesn’t talk – about China.

Gone are the sweeping declarations about China being “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge,” as articulated by the Biden administration . Nor does it include much of the stronger language in the NSS of President Donald Trump’s first term, describing China in 2017 as challenging “American power, influence and interests.”

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