August 07, 2019
America should apply Cold War lessons to China: Compete hard, hold fast to our values
As global stock markets gyrate in response to mounting economic tensions between Washington and Beijing, the specter of a U.S.-China Cold War looms large. The intensifying rivalry between Washington and Beijing has already provoked a wave of anxiety among former officials, academics and pundits. Former U.S Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson warns that America’s tougher approach risks creating a new "economic iron curtain." Financial Times columnist Martin Wolf says it could turn “a manageable, albeit vexed, relationship into all-embracing conflict, for no good reason.”
The alarmists have it wrong. As China has become more repressive at home and assertive abroad, the United States needs more Cold War thinking — not less. It is imperative that Washington learn the lessons from the Cold War, both positive and negative, in order to rise to the challenge that Beijing poses to American security, prosperity and values.
Read the full article in USA Today.
More from CNAS
-
Beyond China's Black Box
Reports
China’s foreign and security policymaking apparatus is often described as a metaphorical black box about which analysts know little. That is true to an extent, but at the same...
By Jacob Stokes
-
Sharper: Maritime Security
Commentary
The importance of securing the maritime domain is rapidly increasing. From the South China Sea to the Red Sea, the U.S. and its allies are experiencing escalating challenges t...
By Anna Pederson & Charles Horn
-
Countering Coercion
Reports
The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC or China) has been engaging in gray zone activity—coercive behavior that is aimed at changing the status quo but that is below a threshol...
By Lisa Curtis & Nilanthi Samaranayake
-
Deterring the Powerful Enemy
Congressional Testimony
It is a privilege to testify here on matters that are important to the vital national security interests of the United States, as well as those of our other allies and partner...
By Tom Shugart
