Climate change is an existential threat that sheds new light on the US-China rivalry. The rise of China has shaken the post-Cold War liberal order and the West has been preoccupied with whether to engage or contain China, or both.
Many believe that conflict between the US and China is inevitable, but this may not come to pass. It is more likely that an "increasingly hybrid order" is emerging, perhaps with combined neo-liberal and neo-statist characteristics where governments become more assertive in managing and directing the economy. Understandably wary of choosing sides, Southeast Asia not only needs to tread carefully and support the de-escalation of geopolitical competition, it needs to work with both superpowers to tackle climate change and promote low-carbon development in the region.
Differences in values and sharp disagreements on topics ranging from human rights to intractable issues such as Taiwan and the South China Sea dispute will continue to cause tensions. However, it is in their own interest for both to strengthen their collaboration on tackling climate change and to support renewable energy transitions. As the political scientist Joseph Nye has argued, climate change "obeys the laws of physics, not politics", so neither Washington nor Beijing can choose to decouple from the climate emergency or solve the problem on their own. Climate change threatens environmental and human security in both countries. It can also be argued that for economic gains, climate innovation in the areas of renewable energy and other green technologies can help the American and Chinese economies become more competitive. Not only will American and Chinese companies in these sectors gain commercial benefits, but being global leaders in renewable energy could potentially strengthen their countries' soft power.
