Politicians and analysts on both sides of the Pacific have become increasingly gloomy about U.S.-China relations with growing fears that the two superpowers may yet engage in a new Cold War. But not, this time, a Cold War focused on nuclear confrontation but on technology.
This pessimism is driven by a broad range of increasingly contentious disputes -- over the expanding Chinese presence in the South and East China Seas; allegations of cyber intrusions and espionage; claims about intellectual property theft and unfair trade practices; China's treatment of political dissidents and ethno-religious minorities; and so on.