From Complementarity to Rivalry: The Political Economy of United States-China Relations

This paper analyzes this shift in the relationship between China and the United States, focusing in particular on the role of American corporations in shaping US geopolitical strategies with regard to China. Once aggressive promoters of economic integration with China, these firms now defend policies designed to block the growth of Chinese firms in Western markets and protect America's lead in critical emerging technologies. The current tension between the US and China, we argue, reflects, in part, a dispute for control over technical progress in these key areas.