Introduction: Perils of US-China Confrontation - Implications for Europe

Abstract

Europe can no longer ignore the distinct possibility that American-Chinese relations are heading from delicate to outright confrontational. Should recent trends persist for another decade, a cold war in Asia seems well in the making. Such a constellation would have profound implications for the ‘old continent’, particularly for its interests in US engagement in Europe, economic growth, global governance, and maritime security. In light of these high stakes, the contributions to this special issue concur that Europeans must begin in earnest to analyse the drivers and likely consequences of such dire scenarios – both to make them less likely and to prepare options for coping with such unwelcome developments.