Episode description

Is America in a new Cold War with China? If so, who is winning? One of the defining features of the 21st century has been the intensifying competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. As the two superpowers jockey for global influence, China threatens to dislodge America’s longstanding role atop the international order.

At the heart of this struggle lies the Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI, a massive infrastructure and investment project that has become the centerpiece of China's foreign policy. The BRI is often portrayed as an economic venture—China is seeking to create new markets for its goods, stimulate economic growth in its less-developed regions like Africa and Latin America. But the BRI has increasingly come under scrutiny as a geopolitical gambit designed to expand China's power and undermine American leadership.

As policymakers in Washington grapple with how to respond to China's growing assertiveness, our guest today offers a provocative thesis: America is losing this new cold war, and it needs a bold strategy to turn the tide.

Evan is joined by Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council. His new book, "Countering China's Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance,” calls for the U.S. to take new approach that would exploit the BRI's weaknesses, such as its reliance on unsustainable debt and its tendency to breed corruption and local resentment, while simultaneously strengthening U.S. alliances and providing alternative models of development assistance. Michael also hosts the "Great Power Podcast," AFPC's show about global competition and U.S.-China relations. You can read a critique of Michael’s book here.