The US-China relationship has become the world’s most important bilateral relationship, encompassing the two largest economies on earth. Their relations during the post-Mao era have fluctuated between good and poor. The relationship reached a new trough during the Trump Administration, which took office as many observers concluded that contrary to US hopes, China had become more authoritarian and aggressive as it grew wealthier and more powerful. Trump highlighted the large and chronic US trade deficit with China, while his senior officials took a tougher strategic and ideological posture toward China than previous US governments. The results were a minor “trade war,” greater emphasis on the adversarial aspects rather than the cooperative aspects of US-China relations, and movement toward economic decoupling.