The stand-off between the USA and the USSR during the Cold War saw an unprecedented level of political tension as the battle between capitalism and communism divided the world in two, the Western bloc and the Eastern bloc. The international rivalry manifested itself in many aspects of life from sports rivalry to the brink of nuclear war. Links and comparisons to this tension from 1947-1991 in contemporary society and world politics can be made, however not quite to the extent that was seen during the Cold War. The relationship between China and the US has been a source of tension in world politics in recent times. China’s rapid economic and military growth as well as subsequent position as a new superpower in global affairs poses a threat to the US as the most powerful and established world power.
In determining whether the current Sino-American rivalry can signify an equivalent state of tension to that of the Cold War the political landscape of the time must be taken into account. After the end of World War Two and during the Cold War there were two clear world powers; America and USSR. Thus the tension during the Cold War was fundamentally bipolar global competition between these two countries. This competition and
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On the other hand today’s political tensions are mainly economically based and the rise of China to an economic super power is the main source of tension with the US who until recent times were the clear economic leaders. Additionally the Cold War saw a clear economic stalemate between the US and USSR yet today the US and China still trade with one another. Thus geo-economic rivalry is far more obvious in politics today. During the Cold War the Eastern and Western blocs formed the distinct economic blocs yet today there are several including the US, China, Russia and the