China-US Misperception and Crisis Management

The United States and China are decoupling their societies, not just economies. A lack of exchange of information and ideas dubbed “information decoupling” between the U.S. and China is feeding misperceptions on either side of the Pacific, which leads to a rapid downward spiral in the bilateral relationship. Nowhere are the consequences of these echo chambers graver than in the possibility of a maritime crisis or even a (nuclear) war.

The upcoming Biden-Xi meeting will provide a short window of opportunity for both sides to signal a willingness to stabilize the bilateral relationship, although political dynamics, mistrust, and misperceptions might make this difficult.

This series presents pairs of articles, written by a Chinese and American expert, respectively, on four topics: misperception, nuclear stability, maritime crisis management, and the Ukraine War. The goal is to make explicit some of the misperceptions that drive the mistrust on some of the most pressing issues in China-U.S. relations.