THE WORLD, CONNECTED
DIRECTIONAL RELATIONSHIP · 2026

China → United States

This score represents China's relationship toward United States. The reverse direction is calculated separately and shown alongside it.

CHN → USA-61Adversarial95% evidence confidenceBroad sourced evidence
USA → CHN-57Adversarial4-point gap · not analytically meaningful
SIX-COMPONENT MODEL

Current component scores

Component values run from −100 to +100 and are combined with the published weights.

Security-100

5 documented factors produce the -100 security assessment.

Why this score?
  1. -40U.S. regional military posture raises concern
    Baseline rule · 2015

    China's defence white paper identified the U.S. rebalance, military presence and alliances as major regional security concerns.

  2. +15Military safety and crisis guardrails
    Baseline rule · 2015

    The leaders completed operational safety annexes and strengthened crisis communications.

  3. -40U.S. strategy prioritises China
    Active event · 2021

    U.S. defence strategy deepens Beijing's perception of military pressure and strategic containment.

  4. -35Advanced semiconductor controls
    Active event · 2022

    U.S. national-security controls constrain Chinese technology access and industrial capacity.

  5. -8Technology controls broaden
    Active event · 2024

    Additional semiconductor manufacturing controls deepen the economic-security dispute.

The displayed value is limited to the model’s −100 to +100 component range.

Diplomacy+17

5 documented factors produce the +17 diplomacy assessment.

Why this score?
  1. +20State visit produces bilateral commitments
    Baseline rule · 2015

    The presidents documented cooperation across security, development, health, climate and bilateral relations.

  2. +10Standing strategic and economic dialogues
    Baseline rule · 2015

    Official records document recurring senior channels with concrete outcomes during 2015.

  3. -15Cyber and maritime friction remains
    Baseline rule · 2015

    The state-visit record documents material unresolved disputes despite extensive dialogue.

  4. -12Section 301 tariffs imposed
    Active event · 2018

    U.S. tariffs turn economic friction into a durable coercive instrument from China's direction.

  5. +14High-level dialogue resumes
    Active event · 2023

    Restored leader and working-level channels partly repair diplomacy without removing structural competition.

Economic-63

7 documented factors produce the -63 economic assessment.

Why this score?
  1. +15Institutional economic cooperation
    Baseline rule · 2015

    The JCCT and Strategic and Economic Dialogue produced documented trade and investment outcomes.

  2. -15Material trade-policy disputes
    Baseline rule · 2015

    Official compliance records identify multiple consequential disputes across market access, investment and technology policy.

  3. +50Bilateral trade threshold
    Baseline rule · 2015

    Reported trade activates the absolute methodology route using the latest observation available for this year.

  4. -32Advanced semiconductor controls
    Active event · 2022

    U.S. national-security controls constrain Chinese technology access and industrial capacity.

  5. -52Section 301 tariffs imposed
    Active event · 2018

    U.S. tariffs turn economic friction into a durable coercive instrument from China's direction.

  6. -14Technology controls broaden
    Active event · 2024

    Additional semiconductor manufacturing controls deepen the economic-security dispute.

  7. -15Annual methodology 1.1 recalculation
    Annual recalculation · 2026

    The current component replaces the 2015 quantitative threshold or time-bounded structural package with the evidence applicable in the selected year.

Alignment-60

3 documented factors produce the -60 alignment assessment.

Why this score?
  1. +10Broad global-issues cooperation
    Baseline rule · 2015

    Joint commitments covered climate, development, peacekeeping, nuclear security, health and humanitarian response.

  2. -30United Nations voting alignment
    Baseline rule · 2015

    A rolling three-year comparison of UN General Assembly votes activates the alignment threshold.

  3. -40U.S. strategy prioritises China
    Active event · 2021

    U.S. defence strategy deepens Beijing's perception of military pressure and strategic containment.

Disputes-85

5 documented factors produce the -85 disputes assessment.

Why this score?
  1. -40U.S. maritime presence viewed as coercive pressure
    Baseline rule · 2015

    China's official strategy identified external surveillance and involvement in maritime disputes as a sustained challenge to its interests.

  2. -20Cyber conduct remains disputed
    Baseline rule · 2015

    The leaders addressed cyber-enabled theft and established an escalation mechanism.

  3. +15Cyber and military escalation guardrails
    Baseline rule · 2015

    The parties adopted hotlines, expert dialogue and operational safety measures to manage escalation risks.

  4. -25U.S. strategy prioritises China
    Active event · 2021

    U.S. defence strategy deepens Beijing's perception of military pressure and strategic containment.

  5. -15Advanced semiconductor controls
    Active event · 2022

    U.S. national-security controls constrain Chinese technology access and industrial capacity.

CHANGE SINCE 2015

-7 in 2015 → -61 in 2026

The change is generated from sourced events and frozen scoring rules, not retrospective editorial adjustment.

ACTIVE EVIDENCE

Events affecting the current score

-23

U.S. strategy prioritises China

U.S. defence strategy deepens Beijing's perception of military pressure and strategic containment.

-19

Advanced semiconductor controls

U.S. national-security controls constrain Chinese technology access and industrial capacity.

-11

Section 301 tariffs imposed

U.S. tariffs turn economic friction into a durable coercive instrument from China's direction.

-5

Technology controls broaden

Additional semiconductor manufacturing controls deepen the economic-security dispute.

+3

High-level dialogue resumes

Restored leader and working-level channels partly repair diplomacy without removing structural competition.

Interpret with care

This analytical score is not an objective fact, endorsement or prediction. Confidence reflects evidence coverage, while incomplete or unavailable observations remain explicit. Differences below 5 points are treated as practical ties rather than a meaningful ranking.

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