The current consensus in Washington views China as a very significant threat; complacency about China is no longer widespread, but this consensus view carries a risk of groupthink where policymakers underplay the fundamental internal challenges China faces (corruption, demographics, inequality) and instead focus narrowly on the threat China poses, creating a distorted threat assessment.

factualpending

Speaker

Mike Froman

Evidence Quote

the vast majority of the consensus it views China as a very significant threat and I don't see many people being terribly complacent about it. I think that's actually a risk because there's a lot of group think...we tend to underplay those challenges in the policy realm in Washington and instead really just focus on the threat or the challenge that they pose.

Source

The Challenge of ChinaThe Aspen Institute
Created: 8/11/2026, 6:35:07 AM

My Notes

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