President Trump rejected the Pentagon's portrayal of China as America's top
security threat during briefings on the National Defense Strategy last fall. He
ordered a rewrite, and the final document, released in January, shifted to a
more conciliatory tone, stating Trump “seeks a stable peace, fair trade, and
respectful relations with China." This marks a dramatic reversal from his first
term's aggressive stance, which included trade tariffs and sanctions. In
essence, Trump 2.0 is adopting a “Don’t rock the boat” approach, prioritizing
stability over aggressive moves.
