Policy Press

A New Cold War

US–China Relations in the 21st Century

By Zeno Leoni

Published

Jul 31, 2024

Page count

204 pages

ISBN

978-1529227543

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Bristol University Press

Published

Jul 31, 2024

Page count

204 pages

ISBN

978-1529227550

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Bristol University Press

Published

Jul 31, 2024

Page count

204 pages

ISBN

978-1529227550

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Bristol University Press
A New Cold War

The last decade or so has seen US-China relations enter a negative spiral. The evolution of this complex relationship has triggered a fast-growing debate on whether this is a New Cold War.

Building on a deconstruction of concepts such as cold wars and Cold War, this book illustrates how the relationship between the US and China has been a "marriage of convenience" - with both cooperation and competition - for years, but also that we might be close to the end of it. The US and China, it is argued, are locked in a "new type of cold war" where mechanisms of deterrence and competition differ compared to those of the Cold War, and which makes the return of bloc politics possible.

“US–China relations will define global politics in the 21st century, impacting every facet of world affairs from economic ties, military manoeuvring to climate and technology. This book superbly decodes the new cold war discourse, which has become a popular lens through which to view this crucial bilateral relationship. It is a must-read for anyone caring about the future of the world.” Minghao Zhao, Fudan University

Zeno Leoni is a Lecturer in Defence Studies at King’s College London, United Kingdom

Introduction

1. Decoding the Cold War

2. Coopetition in International Relations and the New Cold War: A Review

3. US and Chinese Grand Strategies: History and Drivers of a Marriage of Convenience

4. Between Competition and Restraint: The Implications of Weaponized Economic Interdependence on US–China Relations

5. The Uneven Geostrategic Competition of the New Type of Cold War

6. Back to Bloc Politics? From the Cold War to the New Type of Cold War

Conclusion