Summary of Crashback

Waging a “Warm War” in the Pacific

Though it would surprise most Americans to hear it, the United States and China, are, currently, waging war. It’s not a shooting war; nor is it a cold war akin to the overt, contentious standoff that took place between Washington and Moscow. Instead, the United States and China are waging a “warm war”: a conflict that combines official assertions of friendship and cooperation with warship deployments and provocative acts in the Western Pacific. At present, America is losing this contest – although defining winning and losing is no easy task. The United States’ economic dependence on China means that Washington doesn’t want to vanquish Beijing. Rather, America’s goal is to get China to play by the rules of international law and, thus, ensure free and unlimited passage for ​​​​​​vessels of all nations through the Western Pacific. 

The nature of the warm war between China and the United States allows American political and military leaders to pretend as if the war isn’t happening. China, for its part, has mistaken America’s tempered...