On the Ballot: Keeping the Peace With China

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How should U.S. policymakers prevent heated rhetoric and tit-for-tat aggression from turning violent?

August 12, 2020 | View in Browser

Relations between the United States and China have been tense for some time, but the two countries have become increasingly combative since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. As Kevin Rudd warns, this may be “the most dangerous moment in the relationship since the Taiwan Strait crises of the 1950s.”

How should U.S. policymakers prevent heated rhetoric and tit-for-tat aggression from turning violent?

Michèle A. Flournoy writes that restoring U.S. deterrence in Asia is the key to avoiding a war that neither side wants. Aaron L. Friedberg argues that a defensive strategy is insufficient—the United States needs an offensive approach with an aim to alter Beijing’s decision-making. Kurt M. Campbell and Jake Sullivan contend that Washington shouldn’t expect to change China—it should accept competition as a condition to be managed rather than a problem to be solved.