7The old Cold War was the name given to the highly tense and antagonistic relationship between America and the Soviet Union. It was a cold war precisely because it did not lead to all out war between the two sides, despite their ideological differences. This book argues that we are now entering a New Cold War, but this time the highly fraught relationship is between China and America. Trading relations are at an all time low. A military build-up is already occurring on both sides and multiple attacks in cyber space are now a frequent occurrence. Even more concerning are the recent 'land grabs' in the South China Sea as China asserts control of many of the islands in the area, establishing huge military garrisons in this vast expanse of sea. The book compares the old Cold War with the New Cold War in order to understand what will be different this time around. Will the New Cold War be similar to the last one with massive military build-ups on each side? Will the world be divided once again by alliances on both sides? What are the risks of this New Cold War descending into a hot war? Although there have been many commentaries on this New Cold War, this is one of the first books to provide a detailed analysis of this new strategic landscape.