China-US ties are in a tailspin, spiralling ever deeper into an abyss. Just one short month has seen US sanctions on senior Chinese officials for atrocities against the Uyghurs, Hong Kong’s special status for trade and diplomacy revoked, and consulates closed in Houston and Chengdu respectively. There's even been talk of a travel ban on China's 92m Communist party members and their families. Is armed conflict really a possibility, and if so when? Louisa and Graeme are joined by Gady Epstein and Stanford University’s Oriana Skyler Mastro to discuss the strategy behind the belligerence and the timeline for war.

Photo credit: Flickr. USS San Antonio alongside USS Carter Hall. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Corbin J. Shea/Released) 130321-N-SB587-349