Four more years of Donald Trump would give the mercurial U.S. president a freer hand to achieve foreign policy goals in Asia, especially dealings with China, that have so far eluded him. But exactly what this would look like remains unclear — and potentially dangerous — absent a coherent strategy for the East Asian superpower.

Trump on Monday vowed victory in the Nov. 3 presidential election after being formally nominated by the Republican Party on the opening day of its national convention.

There’s just one major hitch: With his plans to focus on a roaring economy to secure re-election in tatters as the coronavirus pandemic roils the United States, Trump needs another rallying point. Enter Beijing.