COVID-19 did not facilitate cooperation between the US and China but caused the bilateral relations to worsen further instead. US domestic politics, China’s “wolf warrior” diplomacy, and the pre-existing US-China rivalry are important contributing factors to the deterioration. Such deterioration amid the pandemic outbreak has presented a certain degree of security challenges in East Asia around Taiwan, the East and South China Seas, and the Korean Peninsula. Regional players in East Asia, namely Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, must look for a balance point between the two great powers to optimize security and economic benefits. To create and maintain regional prosperity and stability, cooperation between the US and China is necessary, which can be achieved through efforts of the two great powers and also of the regional players.
저자
Zhu Feng is Professor and Director of Institute of International Studies of Nanjing University. He is also heading a national project in Nanjing University on the South China Sea Studies and serving as an executive director of Center for Collaborative Studies of the South China Sea. Mr. Wang Xiaotian is a research associate at the center.