The Editor in Chief of Global Times, Hu Xijin, posted an editorial today under the title: “Will There Be a War between China and the U.S.?” He reports that he had been asked in an interview if there would be such a war. He makes clear that neither side wants a military conflict, but the danger lies in the fact that, since “the strategic mutual trust between China and the U.S. has almost evaporated and the U.S. has strengthened its military presence in China’s close neighborhood, the risk of accidental military frictions between China and the U.S. has increased compared with the past.” He adds that the lack of trust would make it far more difficult to control such an incident, to prevent a broader war.
Although both sides are “preparing for the worst-case scenario,” there is still “room for both sides to manage risks and avoid a military crisis.”
He refutes the charge coming from the anti-China fanatics (like Pompeo and more recently Attorney General Barr) that China wants to “establish hegemony and replace the U.S.” China, he asserts, “is peace-loving in nature. We will not go further in the Pacific or the Indian Ocean to challenge U.S. interests. China has a profound historical conclusion that a belligerent state will eventually perish. China is a cautious major country.”
