Historical Perspective: The Risk of US-China Conflict (faz.net)

• Parallels between modern power shifts and 1914
• Erosion of US hegemony as a risk factor
• Rising probability of direct kinetic conflict

"Historian Odd Arne Westad examines the current global order, drawing parallels to the period preceding World War I. He argues that the relative decline of US influence combined with multiple global crises makes a direct conflict with China no longer unthinkable. The analysis suggests that lessons from history are often misinterpreted, and warns that current geopolitical frictions in the Pacific and elsewhere create a volatile environment requiring careful statecraft to prevent a catastrophic systemic collapse."