The Global Chessboard and The Thucydides Trap: US-China Strategic Rivalry

This podcast comprehensively examines the concept of the Thucydides Trap, which expresses the tension that emerges when a rising power poses a threat to displace an established ruling power. A research project within Harvard University analyzes sixteen historical cases over the last five hundred years, revealing that the vast majority of these rivalries resulted in war, though some could be overcome through peaceful means. Drawing from the conflict between Athens and Sparta in Ancient Greece, the texts draw attention to significant similarities regarding the contemporary strategic rivalry between the United States and China. Furthermore, it is noted that Chinese leader Xi Jinping uses this concept as a warning to prevent relations between the two superpowers from turning into conflict and to develop a new model of cooperation. Consequently, these sources offer both an academic and contemporary perspective addressing the structural risks created by global power shifts and the diplomatic efforts required to maintain geopolitical stability.