The ongoing Ukraine conflict may be the turning point that observers and politicos alike speak of to shift the focus of global leadership away from American hegemony, and towards a multipolar paradigm.

The demonization of China that began during the Trump presidency has persisted. Bilateral relations are morphing from a competition over interests to a struggle over values and identity. The near future looks bleak, but there’s hope further down the road.

The domestic and foreign policies of the United States will both return to the pragmatic tradition, partly because of the diverse nature of the country. At the same time, pragmatic diplomacy in a pluralistic world will improve international relations.

Worries by the United States that China will take over its leadership role are based on a serious strategic misunderstanding. The road ahead for the international power structure as it shifts to a multipolar pattern may be long and difficult, but the prospects are promising.

A series of policies in the U.S. has made life much more difficult for China concepts stock companies. CCS listings in the U.S. are emerging as the next big risk, and the adoption of the variable interest entity structure, or VIE, is storing up trouble.

As US President Joe Biden’s administration implements its strategy of great power competition with China, analysts seek historical metaphors to explain the deepening rivalry. But while many invoke the onset of the Cold War, a more worrisome historical metaphor is the start of World War I. In 1914, all the great powers expected a short third Balkan War. Instead, as the British historian Christopher Clark has shown, they sleepwalked into a conflagration that lasted four years, destroyed four empires, and killed millions.

Maintaining strategic security and its stature as a major global power are the country’s priorities. While its economy is relatively weak, Russia’s military power, its experience and its influence in global affairs means that it will continue to be an important player in shaping the international landscape.

Washington’s current Afghanistan crisis and domestic political instability present an ideal opportunity for China to accelerate its global and regional ‘grand strategy.’ Is the United States prepared to slow its advance?

Conventional logic would say that new leadership should open a broad window to reset relationships between nations. Yet as the first 6 months of the Biden presidency shows, the story is not always so cut-and-dry.

In the year 2034, the United States and China become embroiled in a series of military conflicts that escalate into a devastating tactical nuclear war. Other countries – including Russia, Iran, and India – get involved. Suddenly, the world is on the verge of World War III.