China Moves to Fill U.S. Void in Asia

US President Donald Trump (L) and China's President Xi Jinping arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base, located next to the Gimhae International Airport in Busan on October 30, 2025. Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

U.S. President Donald Trump will travel to Asia next week for a highly anticipated summit with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Trump will be returning to a region he’s personally transformed through his challenges to the international order, tariffs, and now the Iran war that’s hit Asia’s energy sector especially hard.

The U.S.-led security architecture across the Asia-Pacific is also showing signs of real strain, as alliances fray and the institutions set up to counter China are on the verge of collapse.

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by Eric Olander

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