US-China Strategic Rivalry in Asia Pacific: Opportunities and Challenges for Regional States

The twenty-first century is the Asian century. The US, the superpower of the world, and China, the rising power are tilting towards the Asia Pacific region. Both powers are engaged in a power struggle to secure their respective national interests in the region. The study aims to analyze the power politics between the US and China, their interests and strategies in the region, and the response of Asia-Pacific states to the US-China rivalry. The opportunities and challenges for regional states due to US-China rivalry and engagement in the region are analyzed in terms of economic, political, and social. The US is utilizing its strategic tools to maintain its sole superpower status, while rising China pursues to enhance its influence, initially in Asia Pacific and then around the globe. Neo-realists propound the thesis that the changing dynamics of the international system urge states to compete with each other. Neorealism rightly explains the US-China rivalry in Asia Pacific. The primary data was gathered from subject experts through an interview questionnaire. The secondary data was collected from books, articles, reports, and dissertations. The results show that the US is hindering the rise of China, and the latter is challenging the former, through building alliances with regional states in the economic, military, and social domains. Some of the regional countries are inclined towards the US, and others are prone towards China. Based on the data collected it has been recommended that all countries should maintain a delicate balance between both major powers because in today’s globalized world of interdependence, not any state can afford complete disengagement from the other. The great power politics and US-China rivalry will continue for decades to come.