Evaluating U.S. Engagement with China: A Conversation with Dr. Aaron Friedberg

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Aaron Friedberg joins us to discuss the current state and shortcomings of U.S. engagement with China. Dr. Friedberg argues that U.S. engagement with China has failed in several respects, highlighting China’s shift toward more repressive policies under Xi Jinping and its increasingly contentious relationship with the United States in the Asia-Pacific. He believes that, rather than becoming a “responsible stakeholder,” China has instead evolved into a “revisionist power” that is seeking to surpass American influence in Asia and challenge the global status quo. He offers that if the United States did not embrace the approach of engaging with China, it is possible that China would be more aggressive now, but China would also be a weaker power. Lastly, Dr. Friedberg lays out his view of how the United States can best strategize on China going forward, including offering his evaluation of the Biden Administration’s current policy toward China.

Dr. Aaron Friedberg is a professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University. From 2003 to 2005 Dr. Friedberg served as a Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs in the Office of the Vice President. In 2006 he was named to the Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on Democracy Promotion. Dr. Friedberg’s most recent book Getting China Wrong explores the origins of engagement and presents new approaches for Western policy towards China.