Professor Minxin Pei wrote an article on the opportunity China must take the place of the United States in the world as a global leader. As President-elect Trump is bound to apply unilateralist policies, weakening global allies, Professor Pei argued that this will leave a vacuum in global leadership. However, like last time, China will fail to present itself as a “reasonable and convincing alternative.” He attributed this to China’s inability and unwillingness to sustain momentum behind multilateral efforts to combat climate change, promote free trade, protect public health, and more. Furthermore, China is not improving ties with trading partners, and faces a resource deficit. Professor Pei warned of a “world adrift” where, as China fails to fulfill a global leadership role while the U.S. pulls back.