Absent from the expected cabinet lineup are China’s most-feared adversaries, including Mike Pompeo and Robert O’Brien.

A second Trump administration will coincide with the ascent of new China hawks to increasing levels of influence, one of whom previously told RealClearPolitics that the United States is already engaged in a new “Cold War” with the Chinese Communists.

President-elect Donald Trump is poised to pick two men with track records of harshly criticizing China for key posts in his new administration, a sign relations between the superpowers may deteriorate further in coming years.