Even as U.S.-China relations have frayed, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has remained adamant that Washington is “determined to avoid” a cold war with Beijing. In the coming weeks, Blinken is expected to travel to China for talks after postponing a visit earlier this year in the wake of the Chinese spy balloon incident. The trip comes amid U.S. President Joe Biden’s prediction of a “thaw” in U.S.-China relations.

Yet depending on whom you ask, a Cold War 2.0 may already be here. In this edition of Flash Points, we explore the utility of the “cold war” framing, and whether it’s a helpful—or harmful—way to think about Beijing and Washington’s relationship today.—Chloe Hadavas

Why the U.S.-China ‘Cold War’ Framing Is So Dangerous

A Cold War crouch is inimical to a free, open, and flourishing society, Reid Smith writes.

5 Ways the U.S.-China Cold War Will Be Different From the Last One

Guardrails and statesmanship will be even more important this time around, Jo Inge Bekkevold writes.

Is Cold War Inevitable?

A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided, FP’s Michael Hirsh writes.

The West Needs a Cure for Cold War Fever

Yes, a new cold war is upon us. It’s time to stop talking about it and start trying to win it, Edward Lucas writes.

Cold War II Is All About Geopolitics

A new book overplays the domestic roots of Sino-U.S. confrontation and underestimates its geopolitical logic, Jo Inge Bekkevold writes.