US-CHINA RIVALRY INTENSIFIES OVER ASIA-PACIFIC STRATEGIC CHOKEPOINTS AND SEMICONDUCTOR DOMINANCE

The United States and China are locked in escalating competition for control over critical Asia-Pacific maritime routes, energy resources, and strategic territories including Taiwan, the South China Sea, and key straits like Malacca and Luzon. China is advancing its Southeast Asia strategy to mitigate the Malacca Dilemma while securing rare-earth supplies and semiconductors, with Beijing prioritizing Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam for strategic access. Taiwan's production of over 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors makes any regional conflict potentially catastrophic for global supply chains, with estimates suggesting the EU alone could lose 1% of GDP from disrupted flows. Meanwhile, Taiwan-Japan security cooperation is reshaping the Indo-Pacific's defense architecture through coordinated maritime security, supply chain resilience, and technology partnerships as a counterbalance to Chinese strategic ambitions.