The early Biden administration’s buzzword is “strategic competition” when it comes to China. Yet, with a litany of domestic problems at hand, true diplomacy may be sidelined, or worse, sacrificed to retain a positive outlook for Joe Biden’s domestic agenda.

While some anticipated a “reset” of U.S.-China relations with the new Biden administration, this does not seem to be the case. Early signs reveal considerable continuity with the previous Trump administration, although some changes in tactics can be anticipated.

The Biden administration is attempting to merge some domestic priorities with foreign relations, which should create some room for cooperation. The pandemic, economic recovery and climate change are good places to start.

A fresh face at the table may be just what the U.S.-China relationship needs. With Joe Biden officially in the Oval Office, the work is cut out for the new administration.

By relying on a foreign policy rooted in pragmaticism and innovation, Biden can strengthen alliances and cooperate with a Europe that is increasingly more divided.

If the U.S. president, under pressure, makes a hybrid of the Trump and Obama legacies, intensified strategic competition in China-U.S. relations is likely and the risk of confrontation will continue to rise.

China-U.S. relations in the post-Trump era will be driven by China’s increasing strength and shifts in global diplomacy. Because Trump failed to keep China pinned down, the United States will sooner or later be forced to adjust to new realities.

Trump made a show out of confronting opponents American or foreign. Though he made China a key opponent throughout his presidency, the fallout from his political movement in the U.S. could make repairing Sino-American relations a second priority in the next presidential term.

Trump’s presidency drastically changed the American foreign policy landscape, which presents a challenge to Biden as he determines how best to engage in the world’s most significant bilateral relationship.

After four years of US-China tensions, the Biden administration should speed up U.S. economic recovery while restoring bilateral trust with China. That would foster global economic prospects. The reverse would undermine those prospects.