Sino-American Rivalry in Southeast Asia: A Critical Analysis

Document Type : Original Article

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Department of Political Sciences, Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences, Cairo University

Abstract

The study seeks to offer an analytical contribution to the ongoing debate on how the structural changes in the international system explain the current rivalry between the two superpowers, the United States of America and China, particularly in the Far East region. The study is based on the arguments of the critical theory, which investigates the structural roots of the rivalry between China and the United States, as well as how the uneven global capitalist system made the rivalry between the superpowers worse. Through an analysis of Chinese-American competition in the Far East, the study tests these assumptions. Specifically, it looks at the competition between the two countries for technological leadership, control over sea lanes, and strategic and economic areas of influence. Accordingly, the study concluded that the current competition between the United States and China in the Far East, particularly in technological rivalry and the dispute over sovereignty in the South China Sea, clearly reflects the deep-rooted structural inequalities in the contemporary international system. The mechanisms of this competition show how great powers continue to reinforce their dominance over the global system, contributing to the widening economic and political gaps between great and smaller countries.

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