US-China symposium: Spheres of influence for me, not for thee?

['Responsible Statecraft', 'Responsible Statecraft Is A Publication Of Analysis', 'Opinion', 'News That Seeks To Promote A Positive Vision Of U.S. Foreign Policy Based On Humility', 'Diplomatic Engagement', 'Military Restraint. Rs Also Critiques The Ideas', 'The Ideologies', 'Interests Behind Them', 'That Have Mired The United States In Counterproductive', 'Endless Wars'] Responsible Statecraft 2026-01-30 05:05:02

We asked 14 experts to assume as an exercise that the Trump administration is serious about powers maintaining their own spheres of influence. Indeed, the United States and China already have overlapping spheres of influence in the region, especially in the economic and diplomatic realms. This isn’t to suggest that the Trump administration isn’t changing the character of American hegemony in the Asia-Pacific. Marcus Stanley, Director of Studies, Quincy InstituteI don’t see the Trump administration as pursuing any “spheres of influence” policy. In that sense “spheres of influence” feels like a rebranded version of the now obviously mistaken “isolationist” accusation.