The phrase “New Cold War” has been around for roughly a decade. It first came into common use to refer to deteriorating relations between the West and Russia, and usually to condemn what was seen as Russian misbehavior. Recently, the expression has more often been put to describing tensions between the United States (and its allies) and a rising China. Professor Colton will show that there is some advantage to employing a historical analogy, in this case to the original Cold War, as a device for interpreting aspects of contemporary world politics. But he will also point out the danger of present-day observers and actors drawing misleading and even false conclusions from inappropriate transpositions of different times and human experiences. If New Cold War is to be of any use as a frame, it must be utilized with care and with suitable qualifications.