To Stop China, America Must Keep the Peace in the Middle East

When the second Trump administration began, it made clear that its first foreign-policy priority is East Asia, and defending against the growing threat posed by China. In this regard, it was no different from every administration since Barack Obama first came to the White House in 2008. And, like its predecessors, the Trump administration has, despite its best efforts, had to focus its energy on conflicts in the Middle East, and between Russia and its neighbors. Shay Khatiri and Michael Mazza argue that thinking about confronting China in terms of a “pivot to Asia” might be a mistake: