A New Cold War?

A New Cold War?

Six short pieces on conflict between China and the United States, from Tobita Chow, Patrick Iber, Yangyang Cheng, Brian Hioe, Rebecca E. Karl, and Ted Fertik.

The Authoritarian Danger at Home by Tobita Chow

“For Democrats, the embrace of anti-China politics represents an adaptation to political weakness in a climate of rising nationalism that provides the authoritarian right with a path to power.”

Insecurity Policy by Patrick Iber

“There are unmistakable similarities between global affairs in 2022 and those of the Cold War. Still, the differences are significant enough that we should not assume that a new Cold War would be just like the last one.”

Two Homes at War by Yangyang Cheng

“What we call the Cold War was a hot war for millions on the margins of empires. Today, I can feel the weight of a border on my back, and borders are where wars begin.”

Taiwan in the Crosshairs by Brian Hioe

“As the Cold War rhetoric has heated up, historical metaphors have crept into the public discourse about Taiwan: perhaps its status resembles Berlin, or threatens to escalate to that of the international crisis around Cuba in 1962. These analogies mislead more than they illuminate.”

Xi is Not Mao by Rebecca E. Karl

“China today is not Maoist, and Xi is not Mao redux. China today is also not communist in any genuine sense of that term, even though the Communist Party presides over the country with an increasingly iron grip.”

Coexistence or Carnage by Ted Fertik

“If the conflicts of interest are real, and the stakes are felt to be high enough, then war is a real possibility, and our foreign policy must be oriented toward avoiding it.”