1. Trump likes to say he is 1st president to get tough on China. His supporters say he is China& #39;s worst nightmare. @SamBresnick and I knocked down that narrative last fall highlighting that many Chinese see big geopolitical benefits with Trump in office. https://carnegieendowment.org/2020/04/09/amid-coronavirus-pandemic-china-seeks-larger-role-on-world-stage-pub-81515">https://carnegieendowment.org/2020/04/0...

2. Chinese observers see 1.) Trump’s weakening of America’s int& #39;l leadership, 2.) destruction of post–WW II alliance structures, and 3.) exacerbation of dom political polarization & conclude these trends not only harm US int& #39;l position but also help boost BJ’s global standing.

3. In this followup piece, we show how China is operationalizing this analysis and, in the midst of coronavirus crisis, seizing on strategic opportunities presented by Trump& #39;s presidency to chip away at U.S. influence and make a strong play for a global rebalancing of power.

4. Trump adm seems caught off guard by this more assertive approach, unappreciative of strategic opp China sees in a crisis of this magnitude, and unaware of how much Trump’s bungling of the crisis at home & failure to coop int& #39;ly has helped BJ advance itself as a global leader.

5. The Trump adm needs to effectively bring Coronavirus outbreak under control here at home, then shift its attention to help the int& #39;l community fight the virus. If Trump Adm cannot get its act together, China could make critical gains in its march to global superpower status.