In the 21st century, there has been complex competition among states for global power. In this regard, states are often observed to confront each other. Globalization in the post-Cold War era led to technological transformation, which brought along radical changes in the competition for global hegemony. In the context of competition for power, the relations between the US and China as two world powers have remarkable characteristics. From this perspective, this study is designed to understand the recent competition between the US and China in comparison with the classical competition during the Cold War. In this vein, the study introduces the concept of Hybrid Cold War and focuses on conventional and non-conventional factors that stand out in the US-China competition. The qualitative research method is adopted in the study and document analysis is used as a data collection technique. In addition, content analysis is benefited as a data analysis technique. In addition to propounding the concept of Hybrid Cold War, the study endeavors to define the ambiguous features of the new era in a conceptual framework. In consequence, this research argues that the US-China competition has entered a new era where conventional and non-conventional methods are used together, increasing the probability of conflict.
