US allies will worry about Trump's Asia policies

Significance

Democrats and Republicans largely share the assessment that China poses the greatest challenge to US interests globally. The Biden administration retained Trump’s strong tariff regime against Beijing but, after a recent period of tension, has made efforts to place a floor under bilateral relations.

Impacts

• US regional allies will attempt to consolidate agreements with the Biden administration ahead of potential changes in Washington next year.
• Beijing will assess the impact of further engagement with the Biden administration on Trump’s electoral prospects.
• North Korea may increase provocative actions to exploit US concentration on domestic electoral politics.