| Summary/Abstract |
The unequal distribution of power and resources has created conditions for conflict or even war between states. With the United States a declining hegemon and China on the rise, a conflict between these two great powers was bound to erupt. In this regard, the US government noted in the National Security Strategy of 2021 that China is a competitor and a threat to its goals and to its desire to remain the dominant power in the world. One of the factors that have brought China to the position of a challenge and competitor to the US and other powers is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In this paper, C Joshua Thomas and Haans J Freddy throw some light on the great power competition in the context of BRI and examine how the US is leading the counterbalance with its Build Back Better World (B3W). The US and other liberal countries are challenging the BRI by means of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) and the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). What will be the consequences of such a great power competition and what challenges the BRI might face in the future are questions that this paper addresses
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