Geopolitics: The Relationship between China and the U.S.

Geopolitics: The Relationship between China and the U.S. Name Institutional Affiliation Geopolitics: The Relationship between China and the U.S. There is a current struggle between the United States and other countries with the former instituting economic sanctions against different countries including but not limited to the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Classical realism continues to affect how countries such as the U.S. relate with other countries (Orsi, Avgustin & Nurnus, 2018). Notably, the U.S. previous and current administrations have been affected by realism in their policymaking. The rise of non-convectional conflicts between international agents as well as non-state actors has made realism brittle. This paper seeks to access the relationship between china and the U.S. and the possibilities of the two countries to engage in armed conflict. While explaining the concept of war between an existing superpower and a rising nation, Harvard Professor Graham Allison noted that rising countries have always gone to war with actual superpowers over the past two and a half millenniums ("Thucydides trap.") (Evans-Pritchard, 2018). This phrase refers to a situation where an existing power feels threatened by a rising nation, and this fear instigates war. This is more or less the situation we are witnessing between China and the US at the moment. The strides China has been making in recent years have had the effect of challenging the core of the U.Ss superpower status. Previously China was playing the long game to facilitate a peaceful rise to the status of global power. However, the country has recently changed tack and is now looking to directly challenge the US. China has also shown a recent reliance on soft power (trade in this case) to get fellow Asian countries behind them. The primary driver of economic growth in China is its superfluous pool of talent (Orsi, Avgustin & Nurnus, 2018). The most significant factors that could deter the transformation of China into a world superpower are; language barrier and a peculiar culture. The United States of America and the People's Republic of China have recently been engaged in a host of shows of might. The two countries have been trying to outdo each other in all aspects of human advancement (economic, technological, resources, diplomacy, national identity, geography, and military). Trade wars between the U. S and China have made the headlines at a higher frequency since President Trump took over from Obama. The two nations have been trading trade-sanctions with president Trump recently threatening to retaliate against China's retaliatory sanctions with even more sanctions. This is after the US recently announced 25% tariffs on $US50 billion ($63 billion) of exports from China (Evans-Pritchard, 2018). These sanctions are however yet to be activated, and they are subject to revision if China agrees to open her markets. US companies were given until the end of May to present any objections. In a tit for tat move, China responded in kind by unveiling a list of over 100 sanctions carefully selected to directly hit Trump's electoral base with the mid-term elections looming. While the POTUS seems to be enjoying the mind games (he tweeted about the fun of trade wars), the Chinese gover...