China-US relationship needs a reset

It seems the China-US relationship has entered a challenging stage. On Oct 4, US Vice-President Mike Pence delivered a speech at the Hudson Institute accusing the Chinese government of orchestrating an aggressive military, economic, and political campaign to expand its influence inside the United States and elsewhere.

Pence's speech has highlighted the US' confrontational approach to China. In the past, bilateral relations have experienced ups and downs, but with efforts from both sides, the relationship has remained generally stable and cooperative. However, competition now dominates relations, and their engagement and areas of cooperation are no longer holding the two countries together. In March 2018, a leading US China expert David M. Lampton said in an interview that neither China nor the United States was, in all likelihood, inclined or able to reverse course until the costs become much heavier for both sides.

The reasons behind US policy shift