The United States is losing strategic ground to China due to President Donald Trump‘s withdrawal from the global stage and transactional approach to foreign policy, a Democrat-authored report has warned.
According to the report, Trump’s tenure has “significantly undermined” Washington’s ability to compete with China. The report highlights staff reductions at the US Department of State and the “chaotic gutting” of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Agency for Global Media as moves that have weakened US power and influence.
The report describes China as a “strategic challenge distinct from any in our nation’s history” with a “long-term strategy to unseat the United States as the world’s leading superpower”. Senator Jeanne Shaheen emphasized that “while President Trump retreats from every corner of the world – attacking allies, slashing America’s diplomatic tools and embracing adversaries – China is building influence, expanding relationships and reshaping the global order to its advantage”.
China has filled the void created by Trump’s withdrawal from global initiatives such as the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement by boosting funding overseas and increasing its diplomatic footprint. Trump’s tariff war against US trade partners has also undercut “alliances and economic partnerships”, pushing even close US allies in the direction of China.
A recent Pew Research Center survey points to a global shift in attitudes in favor of China. Attitudes towards China have improved in 15 out of 25 countries, including Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, Kenya, and Indonesia. The survey found that 41% of respondents viewed China as the world’s “top economy” in 2025, compared with 39% for the US.
Some of the sharpest shifts in perception were seen in 10 high-income countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Across this group, only 35% of respondents held a favorable view of the US, down from 51% in 2024. China received a bump in approval across the 10 high-income countries, rising from 23% favorability in 2024 to 32% in 2025.
Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, noted that Trump’s trade war has engendered “much deeper skepticism and distrust of the United States across Asia today”. For some, cooperation with China appears to be an attractive alternative. However, Chong also highlighted that economies in the region realize they cannot do without economic cooperation with the US.
William Yang, a senior analyst for Northeast Asia at the Brussels-based Crisis Group think tank, said China is increasingly seen as a more reliable business partner amid the uncertainty emanating from the US. As countries grapple with the uncertainties brought by the Trump administration, a growing number of them are seeking to stabilize their relationship with China by increasing high-level bilateral exchanges.