The Nature of US-China Relations

Some observers believe China has replaced Russia, nee the Soviet Union, as a global power. This is to some extent true. But that view fails to take into account the profound difference in the nature of that power and its usage. Russia based its power on its military capability. China bases its power on its economic might. To be sure, China is also a military power, but it’s a regional one, not a global one. Its military might is based on its land borders and a naval presence in the Indo-Pacific. It does not project power globally.

What makes it a global power is its economy…