Gideon Rachman

Playing with fire

After two decades of co-operation, rivalries between the major powers are rising again. China and America are preparing for economic war

issue 30 October 2010

In a couple of weeks’ time, David Cameron and George Osborne will arrive in China and witness at first hand an economic boom that is shaking the world. The British duo will doubtless receive a polite and outwardly respectful reception. But, as I discovered on a visit to Shanghai last week, Chinese diplomats and academics have noted the deep cuts in British spending — and they are drawing the obvious conclusions about the relative fortunes of the two nations.

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