War or peace? Trump inherits turbulent US-China ties

Peace activists, think tanks, arms control experts, professors, researchers and former diplomats describe tensions as the highest they’ve ever been.

The dominant view in Washington argues for peace through strength.

But there is another movement, rarely heard in the halls of power, of people who want more dialogue and less escalation.

They say Biden ’s military buildup efforts have eroded some diplomatic progress.

The U.S. and China are at odds on key issues, an independent government official says.

Anti-war activists say the two countries need to avoid war.

China has been clear it wants to avoid conflict, but the U.N. has been pushing through the “same playbook” it has used in the past, including in Iraq , to justify war.

The majority view in Washington is that it’s a moral duty to prevent the forceful absorption of Taiwan from a communist government that has eroded human rights.

Allowing China to take Taiwan would also be an economic and geopolitical blow for the U.S. , since Taipei is the primary source of semiconductor chips that power smart devices and a friendly economical hub in the Pacific .

The worst-case scenario would be either side turning to nuclear bombs.