Our Best Reads of the Week
A flag waves at the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas, after the United States ordered China to close its doors on July 22, 2020.
Photographer: Go Nakamura/Getty Images
Earlier this week, the U.S. forced China’s consulate in Houston to shutter. Then on Friday, China demanded that the U.S. close its consulate in Chengdu. But “tit for tat” doesn’t seem to accurately describe the deteriorating relationship between the two nations anymore.
As a whole, the shift is much greater. And it’s not just America — China is on a collision course with much of the rest of the world, too. Among our best reads of the week is a field guide to the significance of each major flashpoint and its consequences.