A competição EUA X China e seus reflexos na governança global: uma análise, a partir de 2018, do QUAD como nova aliança estratégica e da OMC em crise

Abstract

Geopolitics as a result of the interrelation between political, historical, and geographical factors shapes the international system insofar as countries seek to guide their interactions according to the contemporary context, while making projections for the future without forgetting past events. Accordingly, countries draw on the assumptions of international relations theory to conduct their foreign policy. The growing rivalry between the United States of America (USA) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) has been reshaping the global system and contributing to the fragmentation of the global order. Multilateral institutions are losing strength, while informal alliances are gaining prominence. In this context, the present study seeks to understand how the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), as a representative of this new type of arrangement, affects the functioning of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a traditional institution, as well as to assess the extent to which the U.S. China competition influences this process. To grasp this dynamic, it is necessary to understand which international relations theories most underpin the foreign policies of the USA and China, since the chosen theoretical approach determines the degree of adherence to multilateralism. The QUAD, a strategic alliance formed by the USA, India, Japan, and Australia, plays a fundamental role in containing Chinese expansionism. In contrast, Beijing, through its Belt and Road Initiative, seeks to expand its global influence and continue challenging U.S. hegemony. Within this same scenario, the WTO is losing relevance as the USA and China engage in a trade dispute guided solely by their own interests, to the detriment of multilateral solutions.