#USChinaTensions Contemporary US-China tensions are often likened to the Cold War competition between the United States and the USSR. However, the rivalry also mirrors “The Great Game,” an intense 19th-century contest between the British and Russian Empires in Central Asia. Both empires saw this region as strategically crucial — Britain aimed to protect its colonial interests in India, while Russia sought to expand southward, threatening British India. The “game” involved diplomatic maneuvers, espionage, and occasional military confrontations, with both powers vying for dominance in Afghanistan, Persia (modern-day Iran), and Tibet. The Great Game combined open conflict with subtler tactics like forming alliances with local rulers, espionage, and propaganda.

This new Great Game between the United States and China, much like the original version, is about controlling strategic territories and influence. However, the scope today is far greater, as US-China tensions spill into the fields of economic, technological, and military power, with both nations vying for influence across key regions like the Indo-Pacific and Africa. China is forming economic alliances through initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and BRICS. Meanwhile, the United States has established countless bilateral trade and defense agreements with countries across the Indo-Pacific and Europe, while also leading groupings such as NATO, NORAD, the Quad, the Five Eyes, and AUKUS.

The United States has established 750 military bases or facilities in 80 countries around the world. In contrast, China officially has only one overseas base, in Djibouti, and a permanent naval facility in Cambodia. However, the PLA also operates spy stations in Cuba and Myanmar, as well as a space station in Argentina. The PLA Navy makes frequent ports of call in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and other nations. Beijing is currently courting about 13 countries, trying to convince them to host PLA bases, though most have not yet agreed.