China US Photo: GT

These days, quite a few people wake up every morning to find themselves getting closer to a new cold war between Beijing and Washington, thanks to unceasing insane provocations by US anti-China hawks. Although disputes remain on whether this new cold war is on, a voice has already emerged in the US - if the US could collapse the Soviet Union, why can't it collapse China?

The voice may be a perfect reflection of the mindset of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has been marching forward on the path to portray China as a cold war enemy. But Pompeo does not represent the US. He has tried hard to peddle the so-called China threat theory, but there are still sane Americans who have seen through his outright falsehoods, with some claiming he "dishonors the State Department," and "anything he says on the subject of veracity is by definition meaningless." 

The US does not represent the world, either. The US has been trying to rope in as many countries as possible to take Washington's side in the face of the so-called threat from Beijing. Yet those countries have clear answers on whether China poses a threat to them. 

Many of the current generation of senior US politicians, including Pompeo, grew up during the Cold War, which left an indelible imprint on them. But those people failed to keep pace with the times, and are trying to pull the US and the world backward. 

This is not an era of a cold war, but an era of globalization, in which the world can hardly go back to the mode with clear-cut barriers and confrontations. Apart from the US, no country wants a new cold war, and even US allies do not wish to treat China as an enemy, turning themselves into a stepping stone for US politicians' personal gains. 

For the moment, talks on a China-EU investment agreement are underway. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU has a "great strategic interest" in maintaining cooperation with China. London seems to have sided with Washington, but the UK government is reportedly eager to see US President Donald Trump lose the election in November because "it would make things much easier [for the UK]." Japan, which is looking forward to holding the Olympic Games, recently heard suggestions from Japanese experts to "bar countries with high transmission rates from sending delegations - such as the US."

Washington can hardly establish a broad alliance anymore. An alliance needs a leading role which cares for the interests of others. Today's US is far from that kind of leader due to a series of selfish approaches to make America great again. If Washington is determined on launching a new cold war, it will end up finding itself alone. 

China never wants a cold war. Unlike the US-Soviet Union rivalry, China doesn't focus on competing ideologies or political systems.

Yet some Americans are stuck in their fantasy that a new cold war is coming and the US could win just like in the previous one. They should chill first before rushing to claim victory, since the result of the Cold War was mainly caused by domestic issues in the former Soviet Union. However, some elites are living in the past, and believe they are good at fighting a cold war. 

Some US hawks won't let go of their cold war playbook and are trying to direct a new play based on it. In the end, they will realize it is nothing more than an illusion.