International Relations GS 2 In the news 5 times

US-China Strategic Competition

Key Flashpoints (2022–2026)

The US-China rivalry has moved beyond trade disputes into technology, military, and normative domains. Key flashpoints include:

Key details

Semiconductor export controls: The US has progressively tightened restrictions on advanced chip exports to China (October 2022, October 2023, further rounds in 2024–2025), including banning ASML from exporting EUV lithography machines to China. The US has also restricted Nvidia's A100/H100 AI chips to China.
Taiwan Strait: The US maintains a policy of "strategic ambiguity" on Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act (1979) — neither explicitly committing to military defence nor abandoning Taiwan. China considers Taiwan a core sovereignty issue under UN Resolution 2758 (1971).
South China Sea: China claims approximately 90% of the South China Sea through its "Nine-Dash Line" claim, rejected by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in 2016 (Philippines v. China). The US conducts Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) in contestation of these claims.
AI and Technology: Both countries are racing to achieve leadership in AI, quantum computing, biotechnology, and 6G — domains seen as determining 21st-century military and economic power.
Rare Earths: China controls approximately 60% of global rare earth mining and 85% of processing — a leverage point it has used in trade disputes. Rare earths are critical for EVs, wind turbines, defence systems, and electronics.