How hot could the U.S.-China 'Cold War' get?

He also noted that the United States was never as economically intertwined with the Soviet Union --and said the West therefore needed to separate from China, especially its technology, which Washington fears will be used for espionage.

while I don't like Pompeo he is spot on.

Game on, china been pushing the boundries for way too long seeing what it can get away with, stealing intellectual property, technology, building military bases on island in the pacific, bullying all its neighbors and indebting other countries.

Everyone starting to push back on them now not just the USA, and they have alot of internal strife to deal with at the moment too.

The trade war with China that Trump started ("Trade wars are easy to win.") is a lose-lose proposition. I am looking forward to sanity returning to the White House next January. There are differences between the two nations, but there is no need for a war, cold or otherwise.

I don't understand why all the discussion is about US - China cold war. China is bullying so many countries around the globe that the cold war is going to be much broader. No one likes Chinese arrogant communist.

China is bullying so many countries around the globe

You misspelled United States. China is only concerned with its immediate vicinity and is attempting to use ancient history for modern territory claims. Its the U.S. all over the globe. Don't talk like China has bases in Mexico or Canada. they don't. But America has bases in Japan, South Korea and Afghanistan, very near China, and also patrols with military warships and airplanes just outside outside Chinese territory and airspace. Does China patrol off Hawaii? No. As for bullying, the U.S. forced FACTA on her tributaries such as Canada and Japan, invaded and occupied two countries while totally lying about the real illegitimate reasons why and is currently bombing I think at least 7 different countries with no declaration of war.

If the so-called "cold war" gets hot its going to be because the U.S. has marched half way across town to breathe down China's neck, and after decades of this threat and a world condoning U.S. neo-imperialism, China has decided to play the U.S. government's same game.

@Vanessa, China's 'bases' in Canada are its covert operatives who run large NGOs that spy on Chinese students who attend our universities (on China's teat) and its ex-pat citizens (and their Canadian friends) who speak out against Xi's regime. That's a fact. And it is, indeed, a very cold war. Just ask those people I just mentioned how often the chills run up and down their backs when they think about the very real threat to their families, back in China.

Put yourself in their shoes. I can do that because I have Chinese friends, here in Victoria, BC. Their fear is visceral.

China's 'bases' in Canada are its covert operatives

Absolutely zero comparison to military bases full of bomber jets, attack helicopters, tanks and armed, trained men. The U.S. has spies in China too. And Canada. Both sides are led by dangerous people who are very likely to get a lot of us killed in their quests for power. People who choose one side over the other without reservation push us closer to the precipice. Packs of stupid cheerleaders raise their hands to crowd surf evil men in the mosh pit of death.

You misspelled United States. China is only concerned with its immediate vicinity and is attempting to use ancient history for modern territory claims. Its the U.S. all over the globe.

I am glad that U.S is all over the globe protecting small nations against bullies like China. At the end of the day it is democratic country with transparent governance elected in free democratic elections. It makes me feel comfortable. If U.S. did not do this, the world order would look already differently, I can tell you.

I did not misspelled anything. And you will see soon how communist see the world order, your "immediate vicinity" will extend.

I am glad that U.S is all over the globe protecting small nations against bullies like China.

Is it that cannot or will not understand that China is boxed in to its little corner of the world surrounded by a whole host of countries as hostile to it as it is towards them? Is it that you cannot or will not see that America is also a bully just that it smiles more? Have you never heard of Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, Iran, Cuba, Congo, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, etc. or are you just ignoring them because U.S. destruction there did not bother you personally?

The most major difference between the U.S. and China is that the U.S. is the devil we know and China is the devil we don't know since they are boxed in.

Without naming nations, this is the never ending clash of ideologies - Democracy and Communism. Few business that will profit from this is the global news media who will keep flaring these headlines time and again and the ammunition factories in developed nations.

Neutral nations today will be provoked and challenged again and again and again. This is exactly why China is exploiting its neighbors, most of which are poorer nations, in the name of its ancestral history which is a crap reason for its expansionist theory. The 21st century will be defined horrifying natural disasters and wars fought for control of natural resources around the globe.