Will Biden's Real China Strategy Please Stand Up? | Opinion Michael Sobolik , Fellow for Indo-Pacific Studies, American Foreign Policy Council On 3/17/21 at 1:00 PM EDT From the outset of the Biden administration, there has been widespread speculation about the future of America's China policy. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Trump administration's rejection of longstanding conventional wisdom surrounding the need for "engagement" with Beijing, President Joe Biden has inherited a China policy fundamentally different in style and substance from the preceding four decades of U.S.-China relations. While the administration was quick to pivot away from Trumpian bluster and unilateral confrontation, it has also sought to avoid the pitfalls of unmitigated engagement. From the beginning of his presidency, Biden and his advisers have characterized China policy in dualistic language of cooperating where possible and competing when necessary. In theory, this dualism aligns with the president's broader agenda. After all, if climate change is truly Biden's top policy priority, and if he wants to bring Iran back into the 2015 nuclear deal, he will need buy-in from Beijing on both fronts.