(CNN) A standoff between giants US and China is alarming enough on its own. US President Donald Trump sees China as a scapegoat for his own failure in containing the pandemic and as a campaign trail whipping boy. It's also provoked a buzzy debate over a possible US-China cold war that could define the 21st century, just as the US standoff with the Soviet Union colored the post-World War II world. Trump instead has pivoted to confrontation, arguing the policy produced a rich, ambitious threat to US dominance. Basking in its new strength, China sees no reason to play by rules written by Western nations, which it views through a lens of colonialism.

Source: CNN May 08, 2020 21:00 UTC