on the geopolitical structure of the world have
certain limitations and caveats. The respondents'
perceptions of the countries used in the study are
based on their own understanding, which may
not be related to political, economic or military
analysis. Thus, a certain percentage of subjective
results may be expected. In addition, the
available data contains only a limited number of
countries (12 in one case and 9 in the other),
which does not reveal the complete picture of
different regional groups and individual
countries. The analysis of responses related to
China was based on the public position in 2021.
At the same time, German political forces'
assessment of China shows a much more robust
level of professionalism in declaring the
consequences of the geopolitical situation.
Some researchers suggest that continued U.S.
cooperation with China is unlikely to soften the
latter's position on specific global issues, and
individual countries will face the problem of
choosing allies. These results are confirmed, for
example, by a study of South Korea's foreign
relations, where a complex process of choosing
individual strategic actions towards the U.S. and
China is underway. This requires a complex
foreign policy programme, considering polarised
opinions on relations with the U.S. and China
(Heiduk, 2022).
The competition for power between the U.S. and
China in Southeast Asia and the South China Sea
also considers developing countries (Singapore,
Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia).
Specific diplomatic isolation should localise
China's actions to minimise its recent military
actions (Vo et al., 2023). This may indicate that
the U.S.-China rivalry intensifies regional
conflicts, stimulating ties between other
countries and their attempts to gain support from
global rivals, thuswise changing the nature of
regional problems (Schindler & DiCarlo, 2022).
China has to confront the growing military,
diplomatic and technological coordination
between democratic countries in the Eastern part
of the world that are allies of the U.S. (Japan,
India, Australia, and South Korea). In case of
increased mutual confrontation, this will force
both the U.S. and China to seek approaches to
these countries to continue influencing players in
the region (Wyne, 2022).
We have different situational solutions based on
the analysed impact of U.S.-China relations on
the geopolitical situation and, consequently, the
movement of certain countries in support of each
party's position. For example, one of China's
partners, Serbia, has stated that the Russian-
occupied Crimea and Donbas belong to
Ukrainian territories. For the U.S., it is critical
that China and Russia strengthen their
cooperation, which would harm both its
economic interests and the war's end in Ukraine.
Another area is the U.S. effort to preserve the
status quo in Taiwan, which China seeks to take
control of even by military means. Although
China does not intend to launch a forceful
scenario, considering the excessive economic
risks. On the other hand, the possibility of ending
the war in Ukraine, if Ukraine achieves its goals,
will help improve relations between the U.S. and
China. In the absence of Ukraine's military
success, U.S.-China relations may further
deteriorate, manifesting as a strengthening of the
anti-Western coalition (Zhang, 2023).
The U.S. should demonstrate readiness to change
relations depending on the actions of the Chinese
side and recognise China's contribution to the
agenda in case of its positive steps. Establishing
optimal U.S.-China relations will help to
strengthen the resolution of the global recession,
mass migration, environmental issues, the
Russian invasion of Ukraine, food security, and
nuclear threats posed by North Korea. In the
short term, the U.S. and China will be political
and economic rivals, while the priority should be
to solve global and domestic problems rather
than a global confrontation between the two
countries.
Conclusions
The study emphasizes the significant role of the
U.S.-China rivalry in shaping the global
geopolitical situation, which requires developing
and implementing strategies to maintain stability,
finding standard solutions to global problems,
cooperation and peaceful coexistence between
the U.S. and China. Such strategies should
consider political, economic, climate, security,
socio-cultural and technological dimensions of
relations between the two countries.
At the same time, the study identified potential
risks and challenges associated with U.S.-China
relations. Disagreements in trade, cybersecurity,
human rights, and other areas could lead to
increased tension and uncertainty in the
international arena, as evidenced by the role and
place of the two global players for individual
countries (adversary, rival, partner, ally). To
ensure stability and peace, it is essential that the
U.S. and China focus on maintaining an open and
constructive dialogue, using the mechanisms of