US and China: Rivals Using the Same Rulebook?

Despite rising tensions, the bureaucrats managing the US-China rivalry often think and act in surprisingly similar ways. The relationship between the world's two largest economies faced new strains in 2025. Trade disputes, competition for critical resources, and regional military tensions have widened the rift. Yet beneath the public clashes, officials on both sides frequently operate from a shared playbook. Their approaches to negotiation, risk assessment, and bureaucratic process show notable parallels. This common ground in administrative culture persists even as political disagreements intensify. It suggests that the machinery of state in both capitals may understand each other better than their political leaders do.