As tensions between China and the U.S. increase amid various global crises, there are worrisome parallels resembling the prelude to World War I. There is a critical need for proactive diplomacy to mitigate escalating tensions and avoid a potential conflict in the near future.

In this interview, Dennis Wilder, senior fellow for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University, emphasizes the significanc

The unpredictable nature of Trump's China policy, influenced by his ideology, foreign policy team, and personal vendettas, makes it difficult to anticipate the direction of U.S.-China relations under a potential second Trump administration.

Washington’s new strategy may alter its trade dynamics with China, but China cannot be taken out of the picture. Most of America’s trading partners continue to be fed by Chinese supply chains, even as they boost their output of manufactured goods to the United States.

Recently elected leader Lai Ching-te is turning toward open advocacy for independence. But his populist agitation is straining relations with the United States, dragging down economic development and potentially compromising peace and stability in the region.

Biosafety-related bills in Congress will likely follow in the footsteps of semiconductor competition and become a new arena for U.S. competition against China. Regardless who wins the election in November, we can expect profound adverse implications for China’s industrial security.

The United States does not have a coherent trade policy. It has a political strategy masquerading as trade policy that has taken dead aim at China. Unsurprisingly, China has responded in kind. With the two superpowers drawing on their allies for support – the US leaning on the G7 and China turning to the Global South – economic decoupling is the least of our problems.

While high officials in the Biden administration — and President Joe Biden himself — have repeatedly proclaimed that America does not seek to decouple from China, the latest move to impose extreme tariffs on certain Chinese goods goes in exactly that direction. It’s a bad idea driven by U.S. election year politics.

The negative strategic narratives concocted by the United States to constrain China are increasingly taking on more offensive, instrumental and purposeful dimensions. They are slipping steadily toward more confrontational and perilous frameworks, much to the detriment of normalcy and peace.

The U.S. secretary of state’s visit to China epitomizes the challenge for the Biden administration in an election year. It seeks to stabilize relations with China but at the same time wants to flex its muscles. This poses a complex challenge for China as it interacts with the United States.