Assessing the final days of the Trump Administration and the future of U.S.-China relations

January 18, 2021

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On January 18, Sarah Wong of Hong Kong International Business Channel (HKIBC) hosted David Firestein, president & CEO of the Bush China Foundation, on Talk the Walk, to discuss the activities of the Trump Administration in its final days in office with regards to China and the impact these actions may have on the Biden Administration’s foreign policy outlook.

According to Firestein, President Trump’s Administration used its last days in office to bolster policies introduced over the past four years, making it difficult for the Biden Administration to potentially undo certain actions, given the highly charged relationship between the U.S. and China. He added that such actions are uncommon in a presidential transition period, as the outgoing president typically would defer to the new agenda of his successor.

The discussion also examines the Trump Administration’s recent symbolic rhetoric about Taiwan, what the newly assembled Cabinet of President Biden will mean for adopting a new dynamic with China as well as the United States’ Indo-Pacific policy.

Click here and here to view the full presentation.