The outgoing U.S. president’s attempts to booby-trap his successor’s ability to improve relations with China is troublesome. It will take some time for the new occupant of the White House to stitch things together. But time is not unlimited.

The steady style of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is a sharp contrast with that of the erratic Donald Trump, and so it’s likely that windows of opportunity will open in China-U.S. relations. Exactly how and in what fields improvement will come is anyone’s guess during the transition period.

Reestablishing order in the region must start with recognizing and defending sovereignty. While it is urgent that the incoming Biden administration address the Iran nuclear issue to forestall proliferation, regional order should be a top priority.

The incoming U.S. administration’s policy positions will likely include moving quickly to restore America’s influence in the region. It will seek an edge over China at every opportunity and try to draw ASEAN closer.

Friends and allies have come to distrust the United States. Trust is closely related to truth, and President Donald Trump is notoriously loose with the truth. All presidents have lied, but never on such a scale that it debases the currency of trust. International polls show that America’s soft power of attraction has declined sharply over Trump’s presidency.

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has a wealth of political experience, unlike Donald Trump. A gradual return to more normal China-U.S. relations can be expected. But some aspects of Trumpism are likely to remain for some time.

China-U.S. relations will likely remain strained under incoming President Joe Biden though the style and some of the substance will change. While defending U.S. security partners in Asia and seeking change in many PRC economic policies, the new team seems interested in exploring opportunities for cooperating on public health, nonproliferation, and especially climate change, under John Kerry, the first U.S. special presidential envoy for climate.

After waiting for the political dust to settle following the U.S. election, President Xi Jinping congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and revealed key expectations about China-U.S. relations going forward.

The U.S. President-elect has articulated his approach to foreign policy — including China — and it deserves close scrutiny. Contrary to some experts, there are significant differences from Trump. The world should pay attention.

President Xi’s speech at the G20 calls to mind the childhood fable of the Three Little Pigs, in which houses of straw and sticks could not stand against a threat. The analogy is apt, as China’s response to COVID-19 has been robust. And it’s clearly worth emulating.