Addendum: I wonder if this article was written in an attempt to influence the Trump administration.

There have been many attempts to do this. The incumbent administration has certainly been trying to put Trump in narrow corridors, so he has no choice to continue their policies regarding Iran and Russia. It’s not unlikely, though, I don’t think Trump needs convincing on this regard, unless the motive is to make Trump not go ahead with a China confrontation, or prioritize “China’s allies” first.