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US v China: A new Cold War?

As the US attempts to curb China's growing influence, is a new Cold War between the world's two largest economies inevitable?

The central committee of China鈥檚 ruling Communist Party has been meeting this week in Beijing to map out its priorities for the next five years. While Americans decide whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden will set the direction of US foreign policy going forward, there is little doubt that Chinese President Xi Jinping will remain in his post for the foreseeable future - party leaders have already abolished his term limits. Whoever wins on 3 Nov, Beijing is likely to continue advancing its interests across the Asia-Pacific region and globally, often at odds with US goals. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned more must be done to avoid 鈥榓 new Cold War鈥, adding: "our world cannot afford a future where the two largest economies split the globe in a great fracture - each with its own trade and financial rules and internet and artificial intelligence capacities.鈥 But as the Communist Party continues to successfully grow the Chinese economy and its influence overseas - while at the same time refusing to give ground on human rights or democratic reforms - is such a split inevitable? China鈥檚 military is expanding and the number of countries relying on investment from Beijing is growing too. As the country becomes more technologically and economically self-sufficient, are the chances of avoiding a global schism decreasing? Are we about to witness a new Cold War? Ritula Shah is joined by a panel of experts.

Available now

53 minutes

Last on

Sat 31 Oct 2020 04:06GMT

Contributors

Professor Steve Tsang - Director of the China Institute at the School of African and Oriental Studies in London (SOAS)

Anne Stevenson Yang - Director and co-founder of J Capital Research, a US-based company specialising in China's macro economy and Chinese companies

Kaiser Kuo - Host of 'The Sinica Podcast', a weekly discussion of current affairs in China

Also featuring ...

Hon. Kevin Rudd - Former Prime Minister of Australia, now President of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) in New York

Yuan Yang - Deputy Beijing bureau chief for the FT

Dr Yu Jie - Senior research fellow on China in the Asia-Pacific Programme at the Chatham House think tank in London

Photo

The flags of the United States and China - Credit: Getty Images

Broadcasts

  • Fri 30 Oct 2020 10:06GMT
  • Sat 31 Oct 2020 00:06GMT
  • Sat 31 Oct 2020 04:06GMT

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