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Will US or China win the next war? That’s the wrong question to ask

Saturday, August 1, 2026

Will US or China win the next war? That’s the wrong question to ask

Andrew Sheng, AGI Distinguished Fellow, critiques the destructive logic of great-power conflict and framing US-China competition as a zero-sum war in South China Morning Post.

Sheng argues that asking who will "win" a conflict between the world's two largest economies fundamentally misses the point, as any direct confrontation would result in catastrophic global failure. He highlights that humanity's primary challenges—climate change, economic instability, and technological governance—require shared solutions, and urges leaders to pivot away from militarized rivalry toward diplomatic co-existence and collaborative problem-solving.

Read the full article here.

Author

Andrew Sheng

Distinguished Fellow, Asia Global Institute

Andrew Sheng

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