How Trump Can Build on Biden’s Successes in Asia

Donald Trump will inherit a formidable Asia policy that has been passed down through Republican and Democratic administrations.

As China ’s rising military power chips away at U.S. dominance, the United States has dwindling margin for error.

The incoming president will have a strong foundation to build from, but the scale of the threat means there is much more work to be done.

The Trump administration needs to get serious about shaping regional and global conventions around digital trade, anticorruption, and intellectual property rights to counter Beijing ’s efforts to bend weaker states to its will and obstruct U.S. economic access.

The United States will also need to improve its military readiness in the region.

Beijing was deeply unhappy with the formation of AUKUS and used diplomacy to try to undermine it.

Working with key allies such as Australia and Japan to bolster deterrence will require urgent effort.

But other parts of U.S. strategy in Asia , particularly its outreach in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands , will require patience.