It matters hugely. Obama's pivot was based on TTP, and generally avoiding direct confrontation with China. Trump's agenda is completely different - ignoring p

It matters hugely. Obama's pivot was based on TTP, and generally avoiding direct confrontation with China. Trump's agenda is completely different - ignoring partnership/bilateral approach, and fairly assertively acting against China. But those were also strategies founded in different eras: the TTP was create back when China was still not quite powerful enough to be a dangerous world actor. Now it's more of a 'standoff' situation with unpredictable leadership from Trump. And with only a 4 year horizon after which 'everything changes' on the American side.