Are the U.S. and China headed for a Cold War? The headlines of late sure make it seem like an ideological clash is imminent—if not already a reality.
After the U.S. earlier this month spotted what it said was a Chinese spy balloon in U.S. skies, it canceled a planned diplomatic visit to Beijing. It was the second notable diplomatic crisis in as many years after Nancy Pelosi’s trip last summer highlighted growing tensions between the two countries.
Under orders from President Joe Biden, the U.S. military shot down the high-altitude balloon after it traveled over several military sites and across the country. In response, China threatened to retaliate, saying it has the right to “take further actions” for what it deemed “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”
