Thedefininggeopoliticalcontestofthetwenty-firstcenturyisbetweenChinaandtheUS.Butisitavoidable?Andifithappens,istheoutcomealreadyinevitable?ChinaandAmericaareworldpowerswithoutseriousrivals.TheyeyeeachotherwarilyacrossthePacific;theycommunicatepoorly;thereseemslittlenaturalempathy.Amassivegeopoliticalcontesthasbegun.Americaprizesfreedom;Chinavaluesfreedomfromchaos.Americavaluesstrategicdecisiveness;Chinavaluespatience.Americaisbecomingsocietyoflastinginequality;Chinaameritocracy.Americahasabandonedmultilateralism;Chinawelcomesit.KishoreMahbubani,adiplomatandscholarwithunrivalledaccesstopolicymakersinBeijingandWashington,haswrittenthedefinitiveguidetothedeepfaultlinesintherelationship,aclear-eyedassessmentoftheriskofanyconfrontation,andabracinglyhonestappraisalofthestrengthsandweaknesses,andsuperpowereccentricities,oftheUSandChina.
