Coopetition as a form of great power relations- the case study of US-China dynamics in the post-Cold War period

<ns3:p>This article applies the concept of <ns3:italic>coopetition</ns3:italic> to better explain the nature and dynamics of post-Cold War great power relations. The notion of coopetition emerged in management studies to describe the paradoxical relationships that combine intense cooperation and competition between actors in a globalized business environment. In the author’s view, it can be successfully applied to the study of great power relations in the highly interdependent post-Cold War international order. Specifically, the case study of relations between the United States and the People’s Republic of China in the period from 1996 to 2007 is used to explore the concept’s applicability to the study of great power interactions. The article identifies factors that facilitated the coopetitive character of Sino-American relations during this period, examines the strategies employed by both sides to manage this dynamic, and offers hypotheses regarding the reasons for the decline of coopetition and the emergence of strategic rivalry.</ns3:p>