Since the end of the Second World War, the United States has long enjoyed a leading position in the world. However, with the rise of China, new changes are taking place in the world power structure. The United States remains the strongest, but it values cooperation with China in international affairs. This new trend in the world power structure is called G2, referring to the relationship between China and the United States in international relations. If the G2 relationship is not good, the impact on the world could be enormous, so the two countries are controlling their mutual conflicts. The United States has returned to the East Asian region, where the possibility of conflict with China is increasing, because China and the United States are already in a situation where they are virtually intertwined with global issues.
China saw the reasons for the US return to East Asia as follows. First, the United States hopes to join ASEAN, an alliance of East Asian countries, in view of the fact that East Asia is gradually becoming the centre of the world economy. The closer relationship between China and ASEAN in the future could put a lot of pressure on the US. Second, the United States has no choice but to attach greater strategic and economic importance to East Asia. The Sino-US relationship in this region is a bilateral issue, but it is also seen as an issue for the whole of Asia.
Therefore, China is strengthening its geopolitical influence in East Asia to counter the United States and build a new bilateral relationship. If we want to become a major global power in Asia, we must first become a major power in Asia and represent Asia in international affairs. This means that if Asia does not deal well with the problems of political delay, it will be very difficult to become a major power. China is striving to play a key role in many organisations and meetings, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Six-Party Talks.
At present, many of the world's problems, such as the Korean Peninsula, the East China Sea, the South China Sea, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Myanmar, revolve around China. In particular, China sees the problems in its own regions of Tibet and Xinjiang Uygur as international issues that could directly affect its own security. In response, China hopes to strengthen its stable authoritarian rule in East Asia. While China may be in the lead in terms of land-based islands, it cannot overtake the United States in terms of sea-based islands. However, China is strengthening its military power because it knows that its friendly relations with the US can only be maintained on the basis of a stable maritime zone and only if the US recognises China as a G2.
