Abstract

Competition with China has become the main lens through which the United States looks at the world. How will this affect US strategy in Eu- rope? First, Washington’s increased focus on China leaves fewer US re- sources available to influence security developments in and around Europe. This compels US policy makers to seek ways to preserve a favorable regional balance in Europe that require less of the United States. Second, Sino- American competition is leading Washington to view its transatlantic rela- tionships in terms of how they affect its position relative to China. As the Euro-Atlantic area becomes less central to US grand strategy, global—and particularly China-focused—considerations will play an increasingly im- portant role in the context of the transatlantic relationship.