The Sino-American Competition: Any Room for Others? The Case of France
This study aims to delve into the Sino-American competition and explore if there is a space for another power in this competition with the case study of France. For this research, I used qualitative research methods, primary data such as official government publications and strategic documents from China and France, secondary data such as academic writing from Chinese scholars, and other sources such as journals, news articles, scholarly papers, and think tank publications. Moreover, I used IR theories such as defensive realism, liberalism, and Thucydides Trap as a theoretical framework to conduct the research. At the end of the research, I found that France is indeed a player in the Sino-China competition and has been active in the Indo-Pacific not only out of interest but out of necessity as well. France has overseas territories and millions of citizens living in these territories. France has been increasing its military presence in the region to protect its citizens and regional interests. Furthermore, evidence suggests that France has been trying to play a balanced role in the region to maintain peace and security. France has been trying to build alliances with like-minded nations in the region to achieve its goals. As prominent scholars Allison Graham and Kevin Rudd suggested, the conflict between the US and China is highly possible; it is not inevitable if both nations develop a strategy to reduce the hostilities and avoid unexpected triggers that can lead to a direct conflict. Moreover, a third player such as France, which holds military, economic, and diplomatic strength both in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific, can play a significant role while working with the European Union and other like-minded nations that have similar interests in “an inclusive, multipolar, and rules-based Indo-Pacific” and have nothing to gain from conflict between two superpowers.