The US Needs A Better Strategy For Competing With China

China's President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017. Thomas Peter, Reuters

Sharon Burke, Task & Purpose: The US Needs A Better Strategy For Competing With China — Or Else Military Conflict Is Inevitable

A defining question of the 21st century is whether a third world war between China and the United States is inevitable, or whether these would-be adversaries can find a way to coexist. At this time, the two countries seem to be on a path that leads to kinetic conflict, even as new technologies are changing the character of war and the global security landscape is shifting.

The United States is approaching this new era with a credo of “great power competition,” giving pride of place to military lethality. In truth, the Pentagon has been yearning for a real enemy for some time, the kind that brings order to both grand strategy and a messy world. Even so, the cultural transition from GWOT to Great Power has been swift. It turns out an aircraft carrier actually can turn on a dime, if only metaphorically.

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WNU Editor: It looks like the U.S. strategy is to assemble a coalition .... Mattis is making his 2nd visit to Vietnam in less than a year — a sign of how much the US wants to counter China (AP).