Michael Schuman

Why China Won’t Stop the Fentanyl Trade The opioid that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year has become a source of political leverage that Beijing won’t easily give up.

China's leaders choose to use the U.S.'s fentanyl crisis as leverage over Washington rather than save Americann lives. My latest in @TheAtlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

Why China Won’t Stop the Fentanyl Trade The opioid that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year has become a source of political leverage that Beijing won’t easily give up.

The opioid that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year has become a source of political leverage that Beijing won’t easily give up, Michael Schuman argues.

Why China Isn’t a Bigger Player in the Middle East Iran and Israel came to blows, and Beijing mostly ducked.

"China isn’t ready to be the world’s next superpower: That’s one thing the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran in June made abundantly clear," Michael Schuman writes:

Why China Isn’t a Bigger Player in the Middle East Iran and Israel came to blows, and Beijing mostly ducked.

Beijing's irrelevance during the Israel/Iran conflict shows that China is not ready to be the world's premier power. My latest in @theatlantic.com
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

No More Student Visas? No Problem. Beijing has reasons to want its top students to stay home.

“Just how mad is Beijing about President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke student visas for Chinese nationals? Not as mad as it says, and not as mad as one might expect,” @michaelschuman.bsky.social writes:

What Is a ‘Reverse Nixon,’ and Can Trump Pull It Off? Dividing America’s adversaries isn’t as easy as all that.

Trump thinks he can split up China and Russia. His plan may make them stronger. My latest in @TheAtlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

Trump Is Attempting a ‘Reverse Nixon’ Dividing America’s adversaries isn’t as easy as all that.

Trump may be trying for a "reverse Nixon"—courting Russia in order to peel it off from China. But these two American adversaries "are closer than they have been in decades, and Putin has not evinced much inclination to change that," @michaelschuman.bsky.social writes:

Trump’s Weak Position on Trade An incoherent American policy has allowed China to benefit from its focus and resolve.

The U.S. and China are finally going to negotiate, writes @michaelschuman.bsky.social. But “Trump’s negotiating position will be the weaker one”:

Trump’s Weak Position on Trade An incoherent American policy has allowed China to benefit from its focus and resolve.

Trump enters trade ttalks with China at a disadvantage due to his own confused and contradictory tariff policy. My latest in @TheAtlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

Trump’s Weak Position on Trade An incoherent American policy has allowed China to benefit from its focus and resolve.

The U.S. and China are finally going to negotiate, writes @michaelschuman.bsky.social. But “Trump’s negotiating position will be the weaker one”:

Trump Says China Needs to Make Deal With U.S. on Trade President Trump released a new statement on China saying that the country needs to come to the U.S. to make a trade deal to lower the tariffs the U.S. has levied against China, because the country nee...

Sounds like Trump is the one who really needs a trade deal with China.
www.wsj.com/livecoverage...

Why China Won’t Give In to Trump Xi Jinping, like his American counterpart, needs to be the top dog.

Donald Trump bragged that world leaders are kissing his add to avoid tariffs he imposed on their countries.
Xi Jinping won't be one of them.
My latest in @theatlantic.com
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

Why China Won’t Give In to Trump Xi Jinping, like his American counterpart, needs to be the top dog.

As tariffs between the U.S. and China escalate, a deal seems out of reach, writes Michael Schuman. Xi will negotiate only if he “can appear at least the equal of Trump, if not the man in control. Trump’s approach so far doesn’t invite this outcome”:

Trade Will Move On Without the United States The tariffs will destroy another pillar of American power and leave a vacuum for others to fill.

Trump's tariffs are not going to make other countries respect the United States. But they can make them move on without it. My latest in @TheAtlantic.com

Trade Will Move on Without the United States The tariffs will destroy another pillar of American power and leave a vacuum for others to fill.

Donald Trump's tariff regime “will further isolate the country at a moment when others stand ready to fill the vacuum," writes Michael Schuman.

🇨🇳 What are China’s interests in the Middle East?

🆕 In the latest episode of China Global, @michaelschuman.bsky.social joins GMF host @bglaser.bsky.social to discuss Beijing's intensified engagement in the Middle East.

🎙️ Listen Now: bit.ly/43hNjrL

Trump Hands the World to China Xi Jinping could only have dreamed of such rapid destruction of American power.

American global leadership is ending - only because Donald Trump wants to end it. My latest in @theatlantic.com
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

Trump Hands the World to China Xi Jinping could only have dreamed of such rapid destruction of American power.

“Trump’s policies, both at home and abroad, are rapidly destroying the foundation of American power,” writes Michael Schuman. “The main beneficiary will be the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who has been planning for the moment when Washington stumbles”:

DeepSeek and the Truth About Chinese Tech Chinese companies are good at doing more with less—and at using any means necessary.

DeepSeek's success shows how China's ingenious entrepreneurs and engineers will overcome the obstacles Washington throws in front of them - by whatever means necessary. My latest in @TheAtlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

Trump has gone soft on China, and more people are beginning to realize it.

www.aei.org/foreign-and-...

Trade War China’s statistics bureau says GDP grew 5% in 2024, meeting official target, but outside economists question data. Export-driven growth likely to stall this year in face of tariffs, warn Morgan Stanle...

THREAD: “Recent analysis of Chinese production in sectors ranging from construction machinery to lithium batteries finds capacity levels that exceed the entire global demand pool," write @ajwsmall.bsky.social and @bglaser.bsky.social of
@gmfus.bsky.social. open.substack.com/pub/dexter/p...

No More Mr. Tough Guy on China Trump’s relations with corporate titans seem to have softened his hard line.

The very nature of Trump's political coalition—which includes corporate titans such as Elon Musk—seems likely to prevent him from taking a hard-line approach toward China, Michael Schuman writes.

No More Mr. Tough Guy on China Trump’s relations with corporate titans seem to have softened his hard line.

Trump is prioritizing the interests of his big-business supporters in his China policy -- and threatening U.S. national security. My latest in @theatlantic.com

www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

The Global Outrage Machine Skips the Uyghurs China grandstands about Gaza while repressing a Muslim community within its own borders. Hardly anyone seems to notice.

China poses as a champion of the oppressed in Gaza but abuses the rights of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, @michaelschuman.bsky.social writes. Global indifference exposes double standards, "and it flags the danger that China presents to the very principle of universal values":

The Global Outrage Machine Skips the Uyghurs China grandstands about Gaza while repressing a Muslim community within its own borders. Hardly anyone seems to notice.

The Palestinian cause is important and deserves the attention it receives. But the Uyghurs of China could use some outrage, too. My latest in The Atlantic.
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

The American Global Order Could End U.S. voters wanted change. The world may pay the price.

How Trump threatens American global power. My latest in The Atlantic. www.theatlantic.com/internationa...