An additional thing I would add is the soft power angle and more to the point legitimacy. The bedrock of American softpower has always been liberal democracy, it was the coffee that fueled dreams of millions around the world for a century. When you think about it, blue jeans and Hollywood movies only really acted as the milk and sugar that made liberal democracy sweeter. Its an ideaology that had been gradually losing its shine for some time, but now with the world's most powerful liberal democratic country electing a rapist and convicted felon who has plans to consolidate all America political power around the Republican party, the values that upheld the global American alliance are now dead.
Yes, American "freedom" has always been a farce, but empires cannot rule without legitimacy and American politicians pre-Trump have always provided the minimum lip service necessary to maintain that illusion so that other states could justify their continued servitude to the American imperium. With Trump only going to target China on selective basis and going scorched earth politically at home to cement MAGA's rule, what cause will its vassals and pro-democracy Chinese people rally around other than simply not liking China and Chinese people? (Tbf for some that's the only reason they'll ever need) The rules based international order entirely loses its meaning. Stating the obvious, this provides an oppurtunity for China. It won't happen immediately, since the country still has its economic troubles and will suffer from the tariff war. But China has the will to continue becoming self-sufficient in tech and improving the standards of living for its people. With China making international travel easier, the growing dominance of Chinese multi-nationals, tech self sufficiency, and improvement of Chinese cultural exports, the time has come for China to only improve its standing globally, but to seize legitimacy from America.
What a time to be alive.
