Great power politics and the New World Order: a comparative study of China and the United States

This paper focuses on the structural divergences between China and the United States in key domains such as economic policy, diplomatic strategy, military security, and technological innovation. From both a macro-strategic and policy implementation perspectiveit systematically analyzes the evolving logic of Sino-American competition and its implications for the international order. As the global landscape shifts toward increasing multipolarity and regionalization, the interactions between the world’s two most influential powers—China and the U.S.—are playing a decisive role in shaping global stability and transformation .The study finds that, in the economic sphere, intensifying friction over trade protectionism, industrial subsidies, and technology export controls reflects fundamental differences in their approaches to global economic governance. In diplomacy, the U.S. continues to advance its “Indo-Pacific Strategy” to contain China’s rise, while China expands its strategic influence in the Global South through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Global Development Initiative (GDI). In terms of military and security, both sides are engaged in increasingly routine strategic deployments and military exercises in the Asia-Pacific, particularly in sensitive regions such as Taiwan and the South China Sea—resulting in a structural security dilemma. In the field of technology, full-spectrum competition in areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and digital sovereignty not only affects national security but also reshapes global supply chains and innovation ecosystems.

Drawing upon policy documents, international datasets, and academic literature, this paper argues that Sino-American relations have entered a phase of long-term strategic competition. While there remains limited space for cooperation in areas such as climate change and non-proliferation, structural contradictions and deep value-based differences continue to push both nations toward strategic decoupling and systemic restructuring.