U.S.-China Rivalry Mirrors Cold War in Ideology, Geography and Power

The article contends that the United States is once again locked in a “long twilight struggle,” this time with China rather than the Soviet Union. It references President John F. Kennedy’s Cold-War phrasing and George F. Kennan’s 1946 “X” article to show how ideology and geography have historically driven great-power rivalry. Sir Halford Mackinder’s “heartland” concept and Nicholas Spykman’s “Asiatic Mediterranean” are used to illustrate China’s strategic advantages over Russia.

Xi Jinping’s public affirmations of Marxist-Leninist-Maoist doctrine are presented as proof that the Chinese Communist Party still pursues a totalitarian agenda. The piece details a massive Chinese disinformation effort, a nuclear arsenal exceeding 600 warheads, and a navy that dwarfs U.S. shipbuilding capacity, arguing these trends deepen the strategic threat. Ultimately, the author warns that without a Soviet-style “Gorbachev,” the U.S.-China contest may shape the world order for the rest of the century.