The collision between a U.S. surveillance plane and a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea reflects an emerging pattern of confrontation between the United States and China -- a development I noted in this column even prior to that incident.
International attention is focused on whether the U.S. aircraft -- which made an emergency landing on Hainan Island -- will be returned with its equipment intact and how the mishap will affect U.S.-China relations. More importantly, however, the latest episode is a manifestation of the Sino-American "cold war" that has shown signs of intensifying over the past several years.
The Bush administration is shaping a tough China policy that sees that communist state as a rival, not a partner. This is a departure from the collaborative policy pursued by the Clinton administration. The policy shift was anticipated when Condoleezza Rice, a China skeptic, was appointed national security adviser to President George W. Bush.