The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission has published its annual report, warning of Beijing’s expanding geopolitical ambitions and its deepening cooperation with non-democratic regimes. The document stresses that these dynamics complicate the West’s strategic calculations and shape a more volatile landscape of global rivalry.
According to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Xi Jinping is seeking to “construct an alternative world order” centered on Beijing and supported by a coalition of non-democratic states, including Russia and North Korea. However hard-edged this partnership may be, it complicates strategic decision-making in Washington and across other Western capitals. China’s long-term strategy reaches beyond specific sectors and national borders.
This year’s annual report—more than 700 pages long—sets out dozens of recommendations. They include examining China’s support for Russia’s war machine, from economic and technological assistance to intelligence sharing and cyber operations, followed by broad dissemination of the findings. The document notes: “Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea have rapidly deepened their cooperation.” It also underscores: “A Russian collapse would significantly alter the global balance of power, weakening China’s influence and strategic position.”
Another recommendation is to increase funding for the U.S. Space Force to “establish space superiority” against China’s counter-space arsenal, as well as to improve modeling and training exercises. “If we agree that space is a domain of armed conflict, then we need to be confident that we have the infrastructure that allows our guardians to operate in that domain,” Commissioner Michael Quiggin told Axios. In September, Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman told reporters he aims to deploy decoy satellites into orbit to simulate adversary tactics during training.
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The report also calls for assessing the United States’ ability to respond to gray-zone aggression, particularly around Taiwan, and for strengthening support for the Philippines, which faces pressure at sea and in cyberspace. According to the commission, China’s People’s Liberation Army entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone “a staggering 3,075 times in 2024.” “Beijing is looking for pretexts to escalate its aggression against Taiwan,” Taipei’s envoy Alexander Yui told Axios in October. In August, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel and a PLA Navy destroyer collided while obstructing other ships, and footage released by Manila quickly spread online.
Against a broader backdrop, Donald Trump said on Monday that he will visit China at Xi’s invitation, while Xi in turn is expected to travel to the United States later in 2026. “Our relationship with China is exceptionally strong!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This call was a continuation of our extremely successful meeting in South Korea three weeks ago.”
Commissioner Aaron Friedberg emphasized: “The leadership of the Chinese Communist Party has long regarded itself as engaged in a struggle—specifically with the United States and, more broadly, with the West.” In his view, “in recent years it has, I think, come to believe that its position in this rivalry is strengthening.”