US leaders view China as a ‘pacing threat’ − has Washington enough stamina to last the race?

By: Andrew Latham, Macalester College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 29, 2025

Words: 1,106

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 6 days ago

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By Andrew Latham, Macalester College

When Donald Trump meets with Xi Jinping on Oct. 30, 2025, he won’t just be chatting with any run-of-the-mill leader of a rival nation. Rather, he will be sitting down the with the chief representative of the United States’ “pacing threat.”

In the Pentagon’s lexicon, China has increasingly been presented as a “pacing challenge” or “pacing threat” − that is, a great-power rival against which a nation measures …

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