The Role of South Korea in the Strategic Rivalry between China and United States of America

The beginning of the 21st century was marked by the intensification of the Sino-American confrontation due to armed conflicts, competition for resources, and spheres of influence. South Korea, as one of the main strategic partners of both countries, needs to choose a clear foreign policy strategy to maintain the balance of power in the region. The purpose of the study is to identify the main factors and key trends in shaping the role and influence of South Korea on China-United States of America relations by studying it as one of the most important geopolitical regions in the rivalry between the two countries. The following methods were used: system analysis, scenario modeling, comparison, generalization, the statistical method, and the historical-systemic method. The prehistory, basic features, and characteristic features of Sino-American relations have been studied. The main spheres shaping the relationship between the two states in the 21st century have been identified. The most acute problems and the most important sectors in the field of international relations that create contradictions in the cooperation between China and the United States of America are summarized. The role and place of South Korea in the strategic confrontation between Beijing and Washington are outlined. The level of Seoul’s influence on some areas of interaction between the two states is emphasized. The Korean aspect in Sino-American relations, as a determining factor in balancing the confrontation between the countries, is analyzed; the main areas of interaction between the Chinese and American sides with representatives of the Korean political elite are considered and studied. The result of the study was an emphasis on the predominant role of Washington in choosing the modern vector of development of the South Korean state, as well as on the gradual cooling of cooperation between Seoul and Beijing, especially in the spheres of trade, economics, and financial relations. It is also found that South Korea is the main element in solving the North Korean problem in the context of preserving peace on the peninsula and strengthening the influence of one of the opposing countries in the region. The results and conclusions of the work can be used as a basis for further research on the topic – in the context of the development and implementation of state strategies and plans for the conduct of foreign policy.