The avoidable war: the dangers of a catastrophic conflict between the US and Xi Jinping's China

Introduction: On the danger of war

A short history of the US-China relationship

The problem of distrust

Understanding Xi Jinping's worldview : ten concentric circles of interest

The first circle : the politics of staying in power

The second circle : securing national unity

The third circle : ensuring economic prosperity

The fourth circle : making economic development environmentally sustainable

The fifth circle : modernizing the military

The sixth circle : managing China's neighborhood

The seventh circle : securing China's maritime periphery

the Western Pacific, the Indo-Pacific, and the Quad

The eighth circle : going west

the Belt and Road Initiative

The ninth circle : increasing Chinese leverage across Europe, Africa, and Latin American and gaining and Arctic foothold

The tenth circle : changing the global rules-based order

America's emerging strategic response to Xi Jinping's China

Xi Jinping's China in the 2020s : the politics of the Twentieth Party Congress

The decade of living dangerously : alternative futures for US-China relations

Navigating an uncertain future : the case for managed strategic competition

Epilogue.