Paper
Douglas H. Paal
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Who's the Boss?
While China has adopted an increasingly tough stance in recent disputes with the United States, its rhetoric has not been matched by aggressive action, and fears about a new cold war are unfounded.
Published on Feb 11, 2010
Source: BBC's World Have Your Say
As Douglas Paal argues on the BBC’s World Have Your Say, perceptions of growing Chinese confidence and U.S. decline will not lead to a new cold war. While China has adopted tough rhetoric against the United States, this has not been accompanied by a real shift in its policies. Instead, this rhetoric reflects an increasingly vocal and influential group of domestic hardliners who have overestimated China’s global clout. As such views have gained considerable traction, pragmatic Chinese officials have stiffened their language toward the United States but remain careful not to take actions that would seriously jeopardize the bilateral relationship. Paal also points out that the high degree of economic interdependence between the United States and China will keep them from pulling the trigger on each other and unleashing a major conflict.
About the Author
Douglas H. Paal
Distinguished Fellow, Asia Program
Paal previously served as vice chairman of JPMorgan Chase International and as unofficial U.S. representative to Taiwan as director of the American Institute in Taiwan.
- America’s Future in a Dynamic Asia
- U.S.-China Relations at the Forty-Year MarkQ&A
- +1
Douglas H. Paal, Tong Zhao, Chen Qi, …
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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