Why the China-US contest is entering a new and more dangerous phase

You may have hoped that when China reopened and face-to-face contact resumed between politicians, diplomats and businesspeople, Sino-American tensions would ease in a flurry of dinners, summits and small talk. Faced with this, America is understandably accelerating its military containment of China in Asia, rejuvenating old alliances and creating new ones, such as the aukus pact with Australia and Britain. America’s Asian military alliances mean that China feels it is being encircled within its own natural sphere of influence. Although some Chinese liberals dream of emigrating, even worldly, Western-educated technocrats now loyally condemn shows of wealth, promote self-reliance and explain why globalisation must serve Mr Xi’s political priorities. America must be clear that its dispute is not with the Chinese people, but with China’s government and the threat to peace and human rights that it poses.