The US-China dynamic that could lead to the next World War?

"Development is the only truth. If we don’t develop, we will be bullied" said, Deng Xiaoping setting China on a new path. Now the whole world is looking at China, and Asia is fast becoming the new centre of the World, economically and commercially even if not in terms of military power. However, the bullying still continues as we are watching live this week. How will China respond to that, is the critical question. Situation has not improved in the past two years as analyzed well in the article (linked) below from last year. I was at Columbia University a few weeks ago for seminars discussing Russia & China relationship and The Rise of China & Security Challenge in Asia. My overall takeaway was quite scary - US is really looking to pick a fight with China. Listened to experts who are/were political and security advisors to the Government/ Pentagon. They were talking about nothing but the threat of China and its rising military capabilities and measures to encounter this threat - even mentions of building a military base on reefs in the South China Sea! Reminds me the tense relationship with a rising Soviet empire during and after the Second World War and how mutual mistrust and lack of/mis communication led to a build up and eventually to the Cold War.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/magazine/the-rise-of-china-and-the-fall-of-the-free-trade-myth.html