In a virtual conversation at the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World, Chinese scholar Wang Jisi warned that the current world order of ‘two superpowers and many strong powers’ faces growing risks of conflict. He voiced concerns about America’s inward turn under US President Donald Trump, Washington’s pursuit of containment in geopolitical and geoeconomic terms, and mounting cross-strait tensions.
On December 15, 2025, Chinese scholar Wang Jisi discussed the differences between China-US rivalry and the Cold War model in a virtual conversation at the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World (CCCW). He warned that the current global order, characterized by ‘two superpowers and many strong powers,’ carries increasing risks of conflict.
Wang analyzed the US National Security Strategy (NSS), noting that despite its relatively mild rhetoric toward China, it has expanded the scope of national security to encompass economic, technological, and homeland vulnerabilities beyond military threats. One striking element, he said, is the NSS’s declaration of the western hemisphere as Washington’s top strategic priority—above Asia, Europe, or the Middle East—a shift reflecting a nation increasingly preoccupied with internal challenges.
“I do think the United States has an attitude towards China, but it also has strategies towards China,” Wang told CCCW director Cheng Li. “But it is difficult to define the strategy, especially the current strategy of the Trump administration.” He highlighted Washington’s pursuit of containment in both geopolitical and geoeconomic terms, alongside escalating cross-strait tensions.
The discussion underscored the complexities of the international order, calling for multilateral approaches to mitigate risks rather than Cold War-style confrontation. (178 words)