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Chris and Melanie welcome Zack Cooper as the new co-host of Net Assessment. They discuss the White House’s new China strategy and debate whether the strategy matches President Trump’s own views on U.S.-China relations. Chris points out the hubris of U.S. leaders stating that they “do not exclude China” from America’s regional strategy, as if China’s regional role is up to U.S. leaders. Zack points out the tension between calling out numerous Communist Party transgressions but accepting that the Party will remain in power indefinitely. Melanie calls out President Trump and expresses skepticism about Bob Zoellick’s recent critique of “new cold warriors.” Chris praises his CatoInstitute colleagues and announces that he will co-directing the New American Engagement Initiative at the Atlantic Council.

Links

• “US Strategic Approach to the People’s Republic of China,” White House, 2020
• Robert B. Zoellick, “The US Doesn’t Need a New Cold War,” Wall Street Journal, May 18, 2020
• “Hong Kong Security Law: Carrie Lam Dismisses Concerns Over Human Rights,” BBC, May 26, 2020
• Adam Rosenberg, “Republican Governor Wants You To Stop Politicizing Wearing A Damn Mask,” Mashable, May 24, 2020
• William Ruger, Tweet, May 22, 2020
• Alex Isenstadt, “GOP Memo Urges Anti-China Assault Over Coronavirus,” Politico, April 24, 2020
• Jon Lee Anderson, “The Coronavirus Hits Brazil Hard, But Jair Bolsonaro Is Unrepentant,” New Yorker, May 22, 2020
• “Trump’s Brazil Travel Ban Begins Tuesday,” VOA News, May 26, 2020
• Yuval Levin,A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream, (Basic Books, 2020)
• Chris Brose, “The End of America’s Military Primacy,” Wall Street Journal, May 22, 2020
• Ishaan Tharoor, “Is A US-China Cold War Already Underway?“, Washington Post, May 15, 2020

Photo by Diego Aviles