"What the Donroe Doctrine Could Mean for China’s Economic Statecraft" - by CWP alum Audrye Wong

In the first few months of 2026, the Trump administration has embarked on military interventions in Iran and Venezuela and threatened possible annexation of Greenland. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s February trip to Beijing followed on the heels of the first state visit to China by a British leader in eight years. As the United States and China prepare for their much-touted summit in late March, Beijing is weighing its options in the face of recent American actions and the new “Donroe Doctrine.”

Chinese foreign policy remains driven by the core priorities of preserving regime security and consolidating influence in its geographic neighborhood. This translates into goals of getting the United States to deemphasize East Asia and splitting alliances to limit America’s ability to marshal long-term coalitions to counter China’s actions.

Audrye Wong and Derek Scissors  -  March 20, 2026

Audrye Wong, Ph.D., is nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Her research focuses on China’s economic statecraft, propaganda and disinformation campaigns, and foreign influence operations. Her book Subversion and Seduction: China’s Economic Statecraft is forthcoming at Oxford University Press.

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