Whether and how the states of the transatlantic region can agree on a common strategy towards China will be the litmus test for their future cooperation. The new Biden administration continues to call for more responsibility to be assumed. The United States see themselves in the midst of a systemic confrontation and expect concrete initiatives, diplomatic assistance and substantial support from their allies in order to face the challenges posed by China’s rise in power. Europe and Germany must manage a balancing act. On the one hand, it is important to protect their own interests in the economic sphere, which are different from those of the US. On the other hand, it is important to relieve the US of security policy tasks by assuming more responsibility.