The Return of Great Power Competition: The Technological-Commercial Confrontation between the U.S. and China

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Student, in International Relations., Faculty of administrative sciences and economy, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

2 International Relation department of tehran university

3 Department of Political Science, university of Esfahan, Esfahan, Iran

Abstract

After two decades of a U.S.-led global order, the resurgence of great power competition has emerged as the defining characteristic of the international system in the 21st century. In this new era of great power rivalry, the multipolar dynamics among the U.S., China, and Russia, along with the U.S.-China duality, hold particular significance. China, currently the second-largest economy and the largest energy consumer, is poised to become the world's largest economy by 2030. China's rise as a global power has presented challenges to the U.S. across economic, military, technological, and ideological dimensions. Given the ongoing competition between the two nations, the central question of this article is what trajectory China and the U.S. have followed in their bilateral relations to reach a level of competition and confrontation in the technological sphere, and what are the primary dimensions of this rivalry? Based on the hypothesis and findings of the research, it can be stated that the strategic goal of the U.S. was to integrate China into the international system under its hegemony, grounded in the belief that supporting China's ascent and incorporating it into a Western-centric international order would foster economic liberalization and extend to China's political system. The objective of this research is to provide an overview of the confrontation between the United States and China in the technological-commercial domain. According to the research findings, competition between the U.S. and China is likely to persist over the next decade, and given the complexity of the relations between these two countries, it may lead to limited collusions and cooperation on challenges such as climate change, ultimately shaping a new international order.

Keywords


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Volume 4, Issue 3 - Serial Number 15
Serial number 15 - Autumn 2024
December 2024
Pages 67-94
  • Receive Date: 10 November 2024
  • Revise Date: 20 December 2024
  • Accept Date: 21 December 2024
  • Publish Date: 21 December 2024