US 'America First' Strategy Sharpens Focus on China, 2026–2030

The US State Department last week released its Fiscal Years 2026–2030 Agency Strategic Plan, a nearly 20-page document that places 'America First' at the core of Washington's global approach to diplomacy, security, and economic policy. The plan outlines a more targeted and operational framework for countering China's influence, drawing close attention from international observers, including South Korean media.

According to reports from major South Korean outlets, the strategy elevates commercial diplomacy as a central tool to revitalize US domestic industries and consolidate a bloc of pro-US economies, with the explicit aim of countering China's expanding global influence. Compared with previous US policy frameworks toward China, the document adopts a more concrete and actionable stance, clearly restricting deep integration between US capital, technology, and China to avoid strengthening China's overall capabilities. It also seeks to exclude China-related elements at the infrastructure level, underscoring a stronger competitive and confrontational orientation.

In the foreword, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote that the period from 2026 to 2030 will be decisive for the United States and its international standing. He noted that over the past 35 years, US foreign policy has often prioritized the interests of the international community and the rules-based order over US national interests and the interests of the American people, arguing that a distinctly 'America First' foreign policy is now required.

The strategy sets out six overarching objectives: safeguarding US national sovereignty; consolidating US leadership in the Western Hemisphere under what the report refers to as 'Donroeism'; maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific; rebuilding a 'civilizational alliance' with European countries; securing US dominance in economic and technological domains; and delivering targeted foreign assistance strictly aligned with US interests. The report references 'China' 23 times, highlighting its central role in US strategic calculations.

Rubio stated that the United States will not shy away from competition with China or other geopolitical rivals. While stressing that Washington does not seek unnecessary conflict, he said the United States will actively defend its political, security, and economic interests against what it describes as encroachments by China, Russia, Iran, and other competitors.

In the section addressing the Western Hemisphere, the plan identifies Washington's core task as providing neighboring countries with alternatives in commerce and security, while explicitly viewing China and other extra-regional powers as strategic challengers.

The Indo-Pacific is described as the arena of the 'defining question of the 21st century' — how the United States responds to China's rise. The report argues that past US and Western policy errors included allowing China unrestricted access to US capital markets, encouraging uncritical investment by American companies, and outsourcing manufacturing capacity. Going forward, Washington plans to pursue policies that strengthen US domestic economic foundations while deterring what it characterizes as overseas aggression.

Citing China's military development, the document states that the United States will encourage Indo-Pacific allies to increase defense spending and invest in deterrence capabilities. It also calls for granting US forces broader access to allies' critical infrastructure and resources. In return, Washington pledges to further open its upgraded defense industrial base to partner countries.

In the trade and economic sphere, the strategy supports efforts to reduce reliance on China-centered critical supply chains and to curb what it describes as excessive dependence on China for economic growth.

South Korean media, including The Chosun Ilbo and The Korea Herald, highlighted the plan's emphasis on commercial diplomacy as a cornerstone of US strategy. They noted that Washington intends to promote commercial transactions across all bilateral relationships and negotiations, ensuring that allies and partners prioritize US companies and solutions — effectively building a powerful pro-US economic grouping. Analysts described this approach as a clear signal of Washington's determination to counterbalance China's global influence.

The coverage also pointed to recent US-led initiatives such as the proposed 'Silicon Peace' alliance, aimed at strengthening supply-chain cooperation in areas including artificial intelligence and critical minerals, as evidence that the United States has already begun taking concrete steps to construct such an economic bloc.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told Global Times that prevailing global development trends and the consensus of most countries suggest that deepening cooperation with China offers a pathway to prosperity, security, and peace amid profound adjustments in the international landscape. By contrast, he argued, the United States' fixation on great-power geopolitical rivalry and its efforts to fragment the global system risk leaving it increasingly isolated.

Li added that the Rubio-led strategic plan reflects the complexity of US internal debates over China policy. While rejecting certain elements of a purely transactional, 'America First' approach toward China, the document simultaneously sharpens competitive and confrontational elements, underscoring the contradictions within Washington's broader China strategy.