by Assaf Orion, INSS and Niv Horesh, Durham University, England
The election of Donald Trump heralds a change in United States policy, and relations with China are emerging as a major
focus of the new administration. It appears that each side is seeking to identify the other’s weaknesses during a
mutually sensitive transition period, and to maximize benefits through brinkmanship. Yet it is possible that Trump will
heed the advice of the State Department and strive for calm between the two powers and seek to settle their differences
constructively. For Israel, the rising tensions between the United States and China have mostly negative potential. When
tensions between Washington and Beijing spill over from the economic sphere to the military-security sphere, as is the
case at present, there is a real risk that Israel, though careful to operate strictly within existing understandings on
security matters, could see its relations with both sides undermined. Therefore, the government of Israel would do well
to discuss not only Middle East issues with the incoming US administration, but also the triangle of Israel-US-China
relations, and preempt possible tensions through quiet, professional channels of communication, far from the sound and
fury of the public media.
ends