Abstract

The dynamics of current international strategic environment suggest that world politics is going to transform from uni-polarity to multipolarity due to geo-strategic interaction among the states. Rise of China in Asia, a power house of economic activity, makes it imperative for the United States of America to take care of its strategic interests in the Asia-Pacific region. Most of the scholarly works are now a days focused upon the emergence of China as a great power and looking for the strategies about how to contain it. In this context, The White House came up with an ‘Asia Pivot’/‘Rebalancing Strategy’ in 2011, which is focused but not limited to enhancing the US military presence in the Asia Pacific region by the end of this decade. On the other hand, China pursues an independent foreign policy based on objectives to ensure its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and economic development. However, Chinese response to the US Rebalancing Strategy has become a matter of quest for scholars in international politics. Some believe it to be a New Cold War between the two major powers in the 21st century whereas others foresee the US politico-economic superiority in the long term. This paper, therefore, focuses on enquiring the Chinese response to the US Rebalancing strategy, and explores whether the two major powers are going for a risky military standoff or not.