The United States appears to be settling in for a protracted era of great power military competition. Ever since Russia seized Crimea and militarily intervened in eastern Ukraine five years ago, and as China began to militarize islands in the South China Sea while claiming virtually all surrounding waterways through its infamous “nine-dash line” at about the same time, American defense officials of both parties have determined that rogue states and terrorist organizations should no longer be the epicenter of war planning and military resource allocation. The third offset strategy of the Obama administration and the national defense strategy of the Trump administration have followed, with their explicit reprioritization of defense objectives. After a quarter-century without major worries over great power competition, we are back in an era that some consider, rightly or wrongly, echoes the Cold War.
OP-ED
Michael O’Hanlon and Adam Twardowski: Russia, China alliance is next threat
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Chairman Li Zhanshu (R) during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on Sept. 25, 2019.
