From Indigenous communities suffering contamination linked to the American bases to the destruction of marine life in military exercises like the Rim of the Pacific, the China-US rivalry is causing widespread harm and oppression. Despite Biden’s meeting with Xi last month, US policy is following Antony Blinken’s approach to “invest, align, and compete” which amounts to resource extraction, threats of war, and human rights violations.

The Asia-Pacific has become a theater in the new cold war even as conflicts and colonial practices from the last cold war persist, including the ongoing Korean War and the American occupation of Guahan (Guam). As the US spends tens of billions on military alliances and new weapons systems in the region, tensions in the region have also factored into increased racial discrimination and persecution against marginalized communities at home. This makes it all the more difficult to tackle real problems to our shared survival like the climate crisis.

While international politics has long privileged the powerful at the expense of the people and the planet, another world is possible – one based on social equality, environmental protection, common-sense diplomacy, and human-centered cooperation. But what does a pro-peace, feminist, decolonized, and sustainable foreign policy look like for the Asia-Pacific?

On December 12 at 8pm ET, CODEPINK’s China Is Not Our Enemy campaign coordinator Cale Holmes is joined by three peace activists to explore the solutions we can all build together for a just and peaceful future. Women Cross DMZ’s Director of Policy and Organizing Cathi Choi, CHamorro activist Monaeka Flores, and Democratic Socialist of America’s Former Asia+Oceania Subcommittee Co-Chair Anlin Wang will share their insight on the new cold war and what kinds of changes as a movement we can make together.