Donald Trump described China as a strategic “competitor” in his first national security strategy, as he accused the Chinese government of maintaining a “repressive vision” and pursuing economic aggression designed to weaken America.
While the national security strategy released on Monday outlined a range of threats, the report reserved most of its criticism for China and Russia, which are described as “revisionist” powers trying to “shape a world antithetical to US values and interests”.
“This strategy recognises that, whether we like it or not, we are engaged in a new era of competition,” Mr Trump said after the release of the NSS. “We . . . face rival powers, Russia and China, that seek to challenge American influence, values and wealth.”
The NSS document can be found here.
