America’s position as the world’s most powerful country is often credited to its democratic political system. However, when looking at historical trends, the U.S. may just be the latest in a string of empires whose dominance begets political turmoil at the top.

Since 2017, America’s National Security Strategy has focused on great power competition, and today much of Washington is busy portraying our relationship with China as a new cold war. Obviously, great power competition remains a crucial aspect of foreign policy, but we must not let it obscure the growing transnational security threats that technology is putting on the agenda.

Trump’s national emergency declaration is an attempt to break what Francis Fukuyama calls a “vetocracy”: a degraded democracy where elites have lost all consensus. This clash exposes the rift between Republican believers in American nationalism and Democratic supporters of universal human rights — but it will do nothing to solve underlying issues brought by inequitable globalization.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics is becoming increasingly popular.

Trump’s address revealed both domestic and international challenges.

How will a Democrat-controlled House affect U.S. policy?

Despite bipartisan support for a tough line against China in the U.S., there remain significant points of disagreement.

It’s time to rebuild a working relationship.

What do the midterm election results mean for Sino-American relations?

Beijing rejects accusations that it seeks to meddle in the Nov 6 U.S. congressional elections.