Is US planning a new Cold War?

The world's attention has long been focused on the Asia-Pacific situation. The increasingly sensitive and complex bilateral and multilateral relations in the region, including China-Japan, China-U.S., Japan-U.S., China-Japan-U.S., and North Korea–South Korea relations, have made the Asia-Pacific situation subtler. How should we view the current Asia-Pacific situation?

World's geopolitical center of gravity shifting to Asia-Pacific region

The world's geopolitical center of gravity had long been in Europe and North America in the modern era. The United States has shifted its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region since the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century. It has taken China as a major rival for global hegemony because China is the only country that can compete against it in all fields after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Gains and losses in the Asia-Pacific region are important for the development prospects and international status of China, the United States, and many other countries. As the Asia-Pacific situation gradually unfolds, the world's geopolitical center of gravity will shift from Europe and North America to this region at a faster pace.

The United States considers the Asia-Pacific region as its main geopolitical battlefield to contain China. It is sparing no effort to create a new Cold War geopolitical landscape in the region. In addition to further enhancing military ties with traditional allies, its effort has also shown some new characteristics. The first characteristic is forming a largest possible alliance against China.

The second characteristic is creating a U.S.-centered cobweb-like strategic structure.

The third characteristic is strengthening forward deployment and expanding strategic depth. For example, the United States has promoted Japan's military buildup, deployed littoral combat ships in Singapore, used Subic Bay in the Philippines as its naval base again, and strengthened forward deployment in East Asia.

The fourth characteristic is economic divide and rule. The United States has actively promoted the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP), and excluded China from it.

Japan is most active in helping the United States create a new Cold War geopolitical landscape in the region. It has willingly served as a foot soldier and strategic frontier for the United States, and frequently interfered in various affairs to expand its strategic network. It is obvious that the two countries have reached a strong consensus on containing China, but at the expense of the fruits of victory of the world's anti-fascist war, the post-WWII Asia-Pacific order, and the political foundation for regional peace. This is bound to destabilize the Asia-Pacific region.

In fact, most Asia-Pacific countries are opposed to another Cold War, and do not want to choose sides. They have adopted a balance-of-power policy, and are trying to create a strategic balance among major powers in the region in order to enhance their security and gain more benefits.

The Asia-Pacific region is not always the top priority of the United States. At present, it has to focus on all three of Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.

The world's geopolitical center of gravity is shifting to the Asia-Pacific region, which is the main direction for China to forge ahead and also the main source of external threats. The regional geopolitical landscape is undergoing the most profound and complex changes since the Second World War, and China should undoubtedly adopted an Asia-Pacific-oriented global geopolitical strategy.

A new Asia-Pacific geopolitical landscape will be formed only after a relatively long time of fierce struggle and turmoil. China should and is well able to play a positive role in pushing the formation of the new geopolitical landscape in the right direction.