New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West

by David E. Sanger

The second risk is that Washington could go too far with its sanctions and tariffs, and thereby play right into Xi’s argument that America’s real goal is “containment, encirclement, and suppression.” Not every Chinese advance is a Sputnik moment. When China masters the technology to manufacture chips with three-nanometer circuits or celebrates a leap in artificial intelligence or space launches, there will be calls to react and, most likely, overreact. The better approach, striking a balance, requires understanding which technological advantages Americans need to protect and which are less critical to our safety. Much of the money America once spent on missiles and fighter aircraft may well be better directed now to working on artificial intelligence techniques that help preserve the independence of our elections or halt crippling cyberattacks on our infrastructure. Protecting the information space at home may be more important than protecting the airspace around Mischief Reef.