The Chinese View of the US in China

There's no doubt that the image of the United States in China has been very tarnished, not just by the recent past. Three presidents since George W. Bush have disavowed America's global mission. The Chinese see a country that doesn't look ready for a showdown and they're not entirely wrong to think this. It matters that China is structurally in trouble because that incentivizes Xi Jinping to consider taking risk and playing the Nationalist card.