The U.S.-China relationship is best understood as a bad marriage where divorce is not an option, and thus the two countries must figure out a way to coexist rather than pursuing either complete decoupling or conflict, because war over Taiwan or more broadly in the Indo-Pacific would be absolutely catastrophic.

normativepending

Speaker

David Shambaugh

Evidence Quote

I tell my students, USChina relationship as bad as it gets. It's like a it's a a bad marriage where divorce is not an option. We have to figure out a way to coexist because war over Taiwan to begin with if not broad more broadly in the Indoacific theater is a possibility and it would be absolutely catastrophic.

Source

Breaking The Engagement: How China Won And Lost America | Hoover InstitutionHoover Institution
Created: 8/11/2026, 7:09:14 AM

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