The Cold War was the name given to the highly tense and antagonistic relationship between America and the Soviet Union. It was a cold war precisely because it did not lead to all-out war between the two sides, despite their ideological differences. This book argues that we are now entering Cold War II, but this time the highly fraught relationship is between China and America: trading relations are at an all-time low; a military build-up is already occurring on both sides; and multiple attacks in cyber space are now a frequent occurrence. Even more concerning are the recent ‘land grabs’ and militarization of the South China Sea in order to assert control of many of the islands in the area, establishing ‘floating’ military garrisons in this vast expanse of water. The book compares Cold War I with Cold War II in order to understand what will be different this time around. Will Cold War II be similar to the last one with massive military build-ups on each side? Will the world be divided once again by alliances on both sides? What are the risks of Cold War II descending into a hot war? Although there have been many commentaries on the emergence of Cold War II, this is one of the first books to provide a detailed analysis of this emerging strategic landscape.
