Much has been said about Trump’s provocative methods in dealing with China, but the source of mistrust goes far beyond the outgoing President. Even as Biden takes office, the plethora of conflicts between the U.S. and China threaten to escalate the struggle between two global powers who vie for global influence.

The U.S. President-elect has articulated his approach to foreign policy — including China — and it deserves close scrutiny. Contrary to some experts, there are significant differences from Trump. The world should pay attention.

It has long advocated international multilateralism. Its recent decision to join the WHO’s vaccine implementation plan is the latest example of its willingness to cooperate for the good of mankind.

The world hopes to see reduced friction between the United States and China in the post-pandemic era. If the next U.S. administration can invest seriously in international cooperation, new paths for joining hands and lifting humanity will emerge.

As the United States repeatedly weighs in to block reasonable reforms and interfere with long-standing, consensus-based processes, China is on another track. It knows that reforms are needed and is working constructively to realize them.

New estimates on actual COVID-19 cases in 2020 highlight the stark differences between the Trump administration’s unilateral stance, and China’s multilateral approach to overcoming the pandemic challenge.

Questions have arisen with the pandemic about who is responsible for what. The answer is simple and clear: National governments are the primary providers of assistance to their citizens.

US-China relations are widely touted as the most important bilateral interaction in the world today. While this is true, it doesn’t mean that smaller nations and other regional powers aren’t making their own plays within the dynamic.

COVID-19 has shone a light on the acute vulnerabilities of a deeply interconnected world. No country, regardless of its size, wealth, or technological sophistication, can tackle this crisis alone.

The post-pandemic era has given rise to new thinking around the world. There is ample reason to believe that the post-pandemic era will bring neither a new cold war of confrontation nor a dark age of international friction.