Is There Really a Cold War 2.0?
Inside the debate on how to think about the U.S.-China rivalry.
Even as U.S.-China relations have frayed, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has remained adamant that Washington is “determined to avoid” a cold war with Beijing. In the coming weeks, Blinken is expected to travel to China for talks after postponing a visit earlier this year in the wake of the Chinese spy balloon incident. The trip comes amid U.S. President Joe Biden’s prediction of a “thaw” in U.S.-China relations.
Even as U.S.-China relations have frayed, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has remained adamant that Washington is “determined to avoid” a cold war with Beijing. In the coming weeks, Blinken is expected to travel to China for talks after postponing a visit earlier this year in the wake of the Chinese spy balloon incident. The trip comes amid U.S. President Joe Biden’s prediction of a “thaw” in U.S.-China relations.
Yet depending on whom you ask, a Cold War 2.0 may already be here. In this edition of Flash Points, we explore the utility of the “cold war” framing, and whether it’s a helpful—or harmful—way to think about Beijing and Washington’s relationship today.—Chloe Hadavas
Images of a Chinese frigate and a U.S. Navy combat ship are displayed during a hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party on Feb. 28 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Why the U.S.-China ‘Cold War’ Framing Is So Dangerous
A Cold War crouch is inimical to a free, open, and flourishing society, Reid Smith writes.
A military propaganda image appears on a giant screen in Beijing on May 18, 2021.NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images
5 Ways the U.S.-China Cold War Will Be Different From the Last One
Guardrails and statesmanship will be even more important this time around, Jo Inge Bekkevold writes.
Foreign Policy illustration/Getty Images
Is Cold War Inevitable?
A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided, FP’s Michael Hirsh writes.
A young Czech woman shouts at Soviet soldiers on a tank during the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia, in Prague on Aug. 26, 1968. Bettmann/Getty Images Archive
The West Needs a Cure for Cold War Fever
Yes, a new cold war is upon us. It’s time to stop talking about it and start trying to win it, Edward Lucas writes.
Soviet soldiers prepare tanks for transfer to the Soviet Union at the Altes Lager garrison near Jüterbog, East Germany, circa 1989.Corbis Historical/Getty Images
Cold War II Is All About Geopolitics
A new book overplays the domestic roots of Sino-U.S. confrontation and underestimates its geopolitical logic, Jo Inge Bekkevold writes.
More from Foreign Policy
No, the World Is Not Multipolar
The idea of emerging power centers is popular but wrong—and could lead to serious policy mistakes.
America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want
Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.
America Can’t Stop China’s Rise
And it should stop trying.
The Morality of Ukraine’s War Is Very Murky
The ethical calculations are less clear than you might think.
Sign up for World Brief
FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.
Join the Conversation
Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription.
Already a subscriber? .
Subscribe Subscribe
View Comments
Join the Conversation
Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now.
Subscribe Subscribe
Not your account?
View Comments
Join the Conversation
Please follow our comment guidelines, stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs.