Interpreting the Cold War and the New Cold War in Asia

Abstract

The Cold War dominated the twentieth century and its effects have been felt in almost every part of the world, even until today. Current issues and debates in global affairs are, for instance, often explained by notable personalities in foreign policy, academia, journalism, and the arts in terms of a “New Cold War”, though not without some scepticism. The New Cold War, it might seem to many, follows the same basic narrative of the original Cold War’s script, but is performed to different audiences, by different actors, on different stage sets, and dressed in different costumes. For instance, in the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were rival superpowers in a bipolar world, where China was a major power; in the New Cold War, the United States is seen to be a declining superpower and China a rising superpower in a new geo-political rivalry, where Russia continues to play a major role. This chapter discusses how the Cold War and the New Cold War may be viewed as historical phenomena; as manifestations of ideological struggle; as a set of narratives featuring storytelling techniques and formats disseminated through film, television serials, books, news, and commemorative sites; and as lived experiences of ordinary and marginalized peoples in Asia.