Opinion | Midterm swing won’t change trajectory of US-China rivalry

South China Morning Post · Andrew Sheng · 2026-11-06 12:30 UTC

At its core, this isn’t about Democrats vs Republicans, national power or even AI. It’s really about how each institutionalises its capital.

American voters have spoken. In the midterm elections, Democrats won both the House and Senate in a sweeping rebuttal of US President Donald Trump’s erratic management of domestic and foreign affairs.

Despite this, the trajectory of US-China geopolitical rivalry will remain unchanged for decades, with every chance of escalation.

Foreign Affairs re-examines “The Delusions of American Power” in its latest issue. The lead article, “The Limits of American Power”, concludes that even with the strongest military, technology and financial prowess, American power will be limited by the will of its enemies, hesitancy to put troops on the ground, time and the quality of its leadership, both political and military.

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