Tensions between US and China and the New Global Order

This text is about the discussion on “The United States, China and the future of the global order” held
between Kishore Mahbubani, Schlager Visiting Fellow, Perry World House, University of Pennsylvania
and Orville Schell, Vice President and Arthur Ross Director, Center on US -China Relations, Asia Society
in New York on March 21, 2024. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIfb7BUiqHY

Over the past 25 years, the relationship between United States and China has been cooperative and
competitive with each other- “cooperative” in a sense that both the countries have been trading partners
with deeply interconnected economic relationship and “competitive” in a sense that China has been able to
establish itself as the second largest economy in the world with its rapid economic growth in the recent
years which is a serious threat to the USA. Various opportunities as well as challenges with the economic
integration and technological revolution were witnessed in the last 25 years’ period. It is clear that US
takes China as its rivalry and a potential threat. US may do every possible thing and employ whatever
available strategy there be to bring China down, as it did to Soviet Union. On the other hand, China seems
pretty aware of US strategy and future dangers while preparing itself as a big civilization in the global
order. There is a shift of power to Asia, especially with the China's rapid economic growth since the 1990s.
It was until 1960s when none of an Asian country held any position among the top five economies in the
world. But today, among the top five, three countries are from Asia. With the rise of so many other
countries, it is seen that the world is no longer “unipolar” but the system shifts to “bipolar” and slowly
moving towards “multipolar.”

Rise of China is phenomenal. The historical patterns of rise and fall among major civilizations and empires
exemplify that the power cycle exists- And, this is the era, that is shifting the power to Asia. China with its
economic growth, redefines the global order. This shows that the global order is not stable. There has
always been a competition among the powerful nations, and the economy of the particular country largely
determines its shift in the global order.

Shifting of power is largely determined by the nation’s economic status and growth, while the instability in
the global order is phenomenal, and an ongoing cycle. It is clear that the global order is redefining now.

Submitted by: Pradeep Kumar Lama