Chinaʼs approach to a possible Donald Trump return shows big changes from eight years ago. The nation takes softer steps now focusing on smart diplomacy instead of direct push-back (which didnt work well last time)
Tech independence became Chinas main focus after the ZTE ban in ʼ18. Local companies switched to home-made parts: just 4 big domestic-supply projects existed back then but now theres 169 of them. Still the nations tech sector cant get latest foreign chips which limits its growth-potential
The economy isnt as strong as it was in 16 — growing at 5% versus previous 6.7% due to property problems. With yearly US trade worth $400B+ Xi Jinping and his team know they need careful planning; experts think more money-support might be needed than the $1.4T already planned
Chinaʼs world-wide charm-push is getting results:
- Fixed border issues with India
- Solved Fukushima concerns with Japan
- Re-started Australia talks after 7-year break
- Built stronger ties in Global South regions
Cooperation not confrontation
The nations tech giants dont depend on US parts like before but experts say upcoming years will be crucial for this rivalry. Chinese leaders plan to use differences between US and its allies while keeping talks open — thats very different from their last Trump-time strategy