Abstract:

The assessments claiming that the unipolar world order that emerged after the Cold War has ended and the system has evolved towards multipolarity is becoming popular. The global problems awaiting solutions in the liberal world order have exceeded the regulatory capacity of a single state, however, existing international institutions could not effectively adapt themselves to 21st-century conditions. The South China Sea dispute, which is the subject of the study, manifests itself as a complex problem area where the interests of global and regional powers are intertwined. This study attempts to reveal the economic and political power asymmetry between the countries that are the major claimants to the dispute. In addition, the South China Sea is a geography where the great power competition between China and the USA is observed in the most concrete way. The South China Sea is a natural defensive shield for China. The USA, on the other hand, does not want to compromise its hegemonic position in the Western Pacific region, where it has existed since the Cold War.The relations between the USA, which has a direct impact on the globalization of the SCS problem, and China, which has gained power in the world capitalist economy, do not seem to be recovered in a short time. In the study, it is argued that China’s approach to the SCS problem will not be confrontational, contrary to conventional geopolitical evaluations, and will act responsibly against the liberal world order in which the country is strongly integrated.

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