U.S.-CHINA RIVALRY SHAPES ASIA-PACIFIC

The dominant Asia-Pacific story is the intensifying U.S.-China rivalry, which is driving regional security, economic policy, and diplomatic alignment. Maritime choke points and contested flashpoints such as Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the Korean Peninsula remain central to the region’s risk picture. Trade and economic security are also tightening together, with supply-chain resilience, investment controls, and tariff policy reshaping ties among major Asian economies and the United States. At the same time, regional governments are responding by expanding defence networking and hedging rather than choosing a single bloc.