SINO-US COMPETITION IN ASIA PACIFIC

CHALLENGES TO REGIONAL STABILITY

AND FUTURE PROSPECTS
Supervisor:
Dr. Shaheen Akhtar
Research Scholar:
Sobia Jamil

PROBLEM STATEMENT

China, with an economic thrust is emerging as an influential global player. It is expected that China will be a

future rival of US in International affairs. For Americans, rise of China has emerged as a key challenge of
21st century.

Chinas rise is having a great effect on global balance of power and the power gap is lessening between

China and US. Asia-pivot or rebalancing of Asia strategy imply a major shift in American policy which
shows that America has started calculating its options and it is focusing on strategic and military alliances.

America has planned to increase its military presence in Asia Pacific and by 2020 US will have 60% of its

forces in Asia Pacific region. Obama administration has announced that rebalancing is aimed to
strengthening bilateral security alliances, expanding trade and investment and advancing democracy and
human rights. Although US has denied that the pivot is a containment strategy aimed at Beijing but China
views the pivot as an act of provocation.

This situation in the region is likely to boost rivalry between China and the US in the long run. The study

argues that geopolitical competition between China and US would intensify in Asia pacific in near future.

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The significance of this study is that it discusses the power shift from Atlantic to

Asia Pacific through the prism of power transition theory. The political
developments in this region cannot be separated from the international politics
because they have implications for those countries whose economic and security
concerns are tied with the region.
It attempts to analyze the crucial role of rising China as a leading state and a

competitor of US in the Asia Pacific region and to analyze the implications of

Chinas recent growth for Sino-US relations and global and regional peace. It aims
at highlighting the contests between Washington and Beijing in the Asia Pacific.
This study analyzes the challenges faced by China, the challenger and US, the

hegemonic state and policies of both in Asia Pacific. This research also tries to
explore future prospects of relations between the two capitals.

HYPOTHESIS
Chinas rise as regional and potential global power is likely to exacerbate

geopolitical competition with U.S in Asia Pacific region which in turn, will
affect the regional stability in the long run.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What makes rising China a potential threat to the US hegemony in the Asia-

Pacific region?
What are the theoretical explanations of the Sino-US competition in the
Asia-Pacific region?
What are the implications of Chinas development for Sino-American
relations and regional stability?
What are the sources of contest between the US and China in Asia Pacific
and how policies of both great powers can further enhance competition in
the region?
How strategic competition between China and US is going to affect
regional stability in the Asia Pacific?

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The method which is being inferred to be followed is defined as the

descriptive. It would carry the theoretical and analytical portion side by

side in the research paper.
Data is collected by secondary resources which includes research papers,

research articles, journals and books from different libraries.

ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

The study is divided into six chapters covering Chinas and United States of

Americas interests and competition and policies towards Asia pacific region.
Chapter one is introduction provides literature review and main argument

before going to the theory. Methodology is also defined here.

Chapter two discusses the theoretical framework Power Transition Theory

and this explains the Sino-U.S Competition particularly in Asia pacific region.

Chapter three discusses the origin of Chinas rise and policies of its new

leadership. It gives a view that how China has emerged a threat for U.S and
decreasing the U.S influence in Asia pacific.

CONTINUES
Chapter four analyses the American response towards rising China and

policies of Obamas administration and discusses the Americas rebalancing

strategy in detail.
Chapter five examines the Sino-U.S contests in Asia pacific region

including Taiwan issue, South China Sea, East China Sea and conflict over
EEZ and polices of both countries in South East Asia. It also discusses the
regional responses and Impact on the region in detail.
Chapter six discusses major findings, future prospects of Sino-U.S relations

particularly in Asia Pacific and concludes the entire research.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Power transition theory framework is used to explain the geo-strategic,

political & economic competition between US and China in Asia pacific.

Power Transition Theory emphasizes on constructive engagement by both
challenger & the dominant power and it provides alternative perspective to
Balance of Power in explaining Great Powers behaviour. While traditional
Balance of power theory argues that shift in power increases uncertainty &
possibility of war, the Power transition theory argues:

CONTINUES
Level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction is important because states which

are dissatisfied with status quo, want to change it.

The great powers, which have different domestic institutions from the US,
are dissatisfied because they do not get much benefit from the existing
status quo.
The Great powers, which have similar domestic institutions, are satisfied
states and they do not go for a war with dominant power.
Even in a transition of power in which a satisfied challenger surpasses &
succeeds the dominant power it will maintain status quo with minor
changes.
In the existing international system US Western & Indo- Pacific allies with
similar institutions/views are satisfied with the status quo. China & Russia
are dissatisfied challengers but largely accommodated in the system.

FINDINGS
The US and China are indirectly tackling each other for the influence and presence in the

Asia Pacific. Both the states are equally involved in polices of engagement and
amalgamation at the same time they are also practicing the realist approach of balancing,
in the form of security cooperation or military advancement plans. Interestingly none of
the countries is open about such hedging policies specifically about security balancing
while pursuing them with devotion.
US Policies comprises of four main conjectures. . Firstly US thinkers understand that

sustainability and existence of international economy, security statute, customs and

organizations that emerged in post cold war era are of vital importance to the present day
China. Because these factors will continue to assist Chinas local economy, domestic
development and the political constancy.
Secondly, given that china is unhappy with some aspects of international system, which

include Taiwans vague status and U.S standing as sole super power in international arena.

CONTINUES
A third important assumption is that because of variety of U.S interests in Asia, the most

favorable policy for her is security hedging.

Fourth, tackling china through containment strategies would turn it into a strong opponent of

US in the region which is obviously U.S really wants to avoid.

On the contrary many Chinese strategists are of the view that U.S stands as a continuing

exterior threat to Chinas national reemergence as regional power

China has rising concerns over U.S Japan alliance, most scholars believe that now the

alliance is not really about military cooperation between U.S and Japan rather it is more
aimed at Chinas containment plus prevention of Taiwans reunification. Such
multidimensional assumptions have persuaded china towards hedging policies, china aims at
establishing stable Sino-U.S relationship but at the same time it is making efforts to
undermine U.S attempts to contain chinas resurgence. Hence chinas hedging policy
comprises of both cooperation and competition.

CONTINUES
Russia plays two important parts in this Chinas hedging strategy. Firstly it

is an exceptional supply of military equipments for Chinese armed forces.

Secondly, Russia shares Chinas distress over unipolarity and international
hegemony of U.S and its military existence in central Asia.
Regardless of sharing the common views about United states neither of

china or Russia can afford to directly confront US because their goals of

being a great power are deeply attached to good relations with U.S.
However, both the countries pursue collaboration with each other with aims
of creating further options against bilateral cooperation with U.S.

THANK YOU!