Commenting on the escalating tensions between the United States and China, SMU Professor of Political Science and Dean of Core Curriculum Elvin Lim opined that many see US President Donald Trump conducting foreign policy “in volatile starts and fits”. "This is not a Trump phenomenon, but a situation that arises from a country that is of two minds on just about anything that matters," Prof Lim said. He added, "China, as the new kid on the block, will be seeking to expand its soft power incrementally and opportunistically as the US proceeds on its vacillating path."