News analysis

Could the US-China cold war turn hot?

There's talk in Chinese political circles about armed conflict, but observers say it's unlikely

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China and the United States are entangled in a trade dispute, a technology battle and an increasingly antagonistic ideological conflict that political pundits have labelled the new Cold War.

Now, the chatter has turned to the prospect of a hot war between the two giants.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on August 16, 2020, with the headline Could the US-China cold war turn hot?. Subscribe