Michael Pillsbury, the Hudson Institute scholar who was one of Mr. Trump’s top China advisers, said the Biden administration’s approach to China was shaping up to be tougher and “more effective” than Mr. Trump’s because Mr. Biden’s aides were united in their view that the United States cannot successfully confront China alone.

Michael Pillsbury, the Hudson Institute scholar who was one of Mr. Trump’s top China advisers, cautioned that the Biden administration would “find it’s much tougher than they thought to get these allies to openly side with the U.S. on China strategy because of the Europeans’ heavy dependence on the China export market.” That includes Germany’s significant reliance on Chinese auto purchases.