Analyzing the nature of the strategic competition between the United States and China in the international system (2012-2024 period)

The strategic competition between the United States and China is one of the most significant challenges in the international system during the post-Cold War era, which has expanded further with China's entry onto the global stage. This competition spans various fields, including economics, politics, militarization, and technology, and has directly impacted global security and the balance of geopolitical power. This research aims to explain the nature of this competition and examine its dimensions. The main question is: How has the perspective of the United States and China on the current strategic competition influenced the shaping of its dimensions? Methodologically, this research is applied, a case study, and trend analysis. The findings reveal that China, with a long-term approach, has focused on economic and technological domains, while the United States, in addition to these areas, has also emphasized the military-security dimension. This study analyzes the competition between the two global powers from a strategic perspective using a realist approach and a mixed-methods approach. The results show that China's geopolitical structure has driven it to avoid military-security competition, and it has thus far refrained from entering this arena. In contrast, the United States is striving to draw China into this domain.