By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-06 22:46:25 | Updated at 2025-03-07 02:03:57
3 hours ago
Amid these changes, a critical question has emerged: beyond the two leaders, who are the key decision-makers guiding the superpowers at what appears to be a crossroads for the world order?
Trump has made a number of surprising personnel choices for his second term team.
From cabinet posts to key advisory roles, he has tapped unorthodox figures – including political newcomers and untested outsiders – to occupy many pivotal positions in Washington, including those responsible for US trade policy, national security and regulating technology.
More than a few are new faces to the international community and have little, or even no, experience with China-related affairs. The choices are wild cards in a high-stakes strategic competition between world’s two largest economies, which are also the top two defence spenders.
Yet, there are some other senior officials in the second Trump administration who either have a track record in dealing with Beijing or are long-standing China hawks.
