Aaron Friedberg thinks the US and China are headed "toward mistrust and competition, if not necessarily toward open conflict"
In contrast to what some realists claim, ideology matters at least as much as power in determining the course of relations among nations. The fact that America is a liberal democracy while China remains under authoritarian rule is a significant additional impetus for rivalry, an obstacle to stable, cooperative relations, and a source of mutual hostility and mistrust in its own right.
Larison asks why this is:
There’s no question that ideology matters as much as power, but what remains puzzling is why states permit themselves to be held hostage to the dictates of ideology when these promise to fuel dangerous rivalries with other major powers.
Greg Scoblete provides some partial answers, but Larison remains puzzled.
The Dish 