Superpowers and Spheres of Influence

Contesting Global Influence

areas over which a country feels it has influence outside of its borders but the country has no legal or formal authority there, this can lead to tensions, usually close to the country’s coastline

• intellectual property rights

• disputes over ownership

called an Exclusive Economic Zone, any country with a coastline can claim a certain reach of ownership and can do pretty much whatever they want within this area

Examples:

Eastern Europe

• dissolution of the USSR in 1991 lead to the independence of 15 nations

• Russia’s influence over these nations has gradually decreased

• expansion of the EU and NATO, which many Eastern European countries are joining, worries Russia about its influence

• tensions accumulated in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2021

South China Sea = most contested ocean region in the world

• number of islands claimed by different countries

• essential for trade as it forms link between Indian and Pacific Ocean

• China claims it as a EEZ with the ten dash line, which extends from the coastline and around the SCS and Taiwan

• most contested area = Spartly Islands

  • contested by China, Taiwan and Phillippines

  • China started building islands to increase presence there

  • US, in response, increased military presence there to ensure navy can still move freely

USA and Greenland

• USA under Trump in 2025 is attempting to acquire Greenland

• grow nation and landmass, which will lead to economic growth and greater political sway

• want to gain acces to wealth f natural reources

• as glaciers melt in Greenland mining access is easier, lots of rare earth minerals undergound

Disputes over Ownership

some areas of the world where ownership of resources is disrupted, leads to disagreements, as resources depleted, pressures increase

Artic

• can’t do anything in the Antarctic, because of the Antarctic treaty, can only conduct scientific research

• areas within the Artic circle mostly ocean, no treaty to protect environment

• contains many untapped sources of natural materials e.g. oil and gas

• many countries are looking to expand territories into Artic to mine e.g. USA, Canada, Norway, Russia

• as ice melts due to climate change, mining and extraction becomes easier

Gulf of America/Mexico

• deep sea oil dredging

Intelletual Property Rights

Two Types:

• industrial property = inventions trademarks, geographical indications of origin

• copy right = literary and artistic works

• worldwide trade of counterfit products which undermine IPR and is gloablly valued industry of $1.7 million

• important because countries wouldn’t spend money on research and development of inventions that would only benefit others

• increases international trade because countries aren’t scared their ideas will be stolen if they share inventions

Rising Importance of Asian Countries

rising importance of India and China as emerging powers has lead to tensions in the region

• border clashes between China and India, both keep military presence along shared sections

• China has concerns about India’s presence in the South China sea

• India has concerns about China’s political relationship with Pakistan

China - Taiwan

• China claims Taiwan as a Chinese province

• Taiwan is run by the Republic of China, the government that was overthrown on the mainland

• Taiwan has developed political relaionship with USA

India - Pakistan

• 1947 the Indian subcontinent was divided into a hindu majority (India) and a muslim majority (Pakistan)

• conflict in the region ever since

Changing Relationships

developing economic ties: China and Africa

• since 2008 China is Africa’s largest trading partner

• China’s increasing demand for resources lead to investment in Africa

• most investment is targeted at resource rich nations

• large investments in infrastructure and transport to improve efficiency of resource exploitation

• much f this is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Pros:

• increases trade for African nations not based on colonial ties

• increases jobs and income in African nations

• transport and infrastructure benefits communities

• increases GDP for many African countries

• expands China’s sphere of influence

Cons:

• main export is primary resources, so profits still not high

• countries can become dependent

• imports of cheap Chinese products can undercut local companies

• debt trapping, ‘loan’ big infrastructure projects, country can’t pay back the cost, China concedes and accepts ownership of infrastructure built e.g. a port, for Chinese trade

• investment unequally distributed, nations with less natural resources miss out

Tensions in the Middle East

one of the most conflict prone regions in the world,

• types of tension:

  • cultural = between religions and ethnic groups

  • political = attempts to increase political influence in the region

  • economic = conflict over resources

  • environmental = impacts of conflict and exploitation of resources on the environment

• ongoing challenge for superpowers because 80% of proven oil reserves are in the midle east

• superpowers have to maintain stability and relationships within the region as far as possible

Economic Problems for Superpowers

• debt

• economic restructuring

• unemployment

Debt

Causes

• global debt crisis 2007 originated in the US

• prior to 2007 low interest rates and lenient credit checks meant banks loaned to pretty much anyone, but as house prices rose more and more people could not pay back the money they had borrowed

• gorvenrments all over the world had to bailout banks to prevent the collapse of the global banking system

• lead to an incease in debt for many countries

Consequences

• reduced spending on public services

• increased unemployment

• lower demand for goods and services

• political instability

Economic Restructuring

Causes

• global shift of manufacturing to emergng and developing nations

• shifts in developed countries to quaternary and tertiary

Consequences = deindustrialisation

• spiral of decline/negative multiplier effect in affected areas

• increase in unemployment

• need for investment in traditionally manufacturing towns, puts pressure on government

Unemployment

Causes

• deindustrialisation

• global financial crisis

Consequences

• increase in migration

• decreased quality of life

• increase in crime

• affected areas need investment and regeneration which is expensive

Economic Cost of Military

essential hard power spending

Nuclear Power

• 9 nuclear powrs in the world

• NATO’s detterence policy states nuclear weapons used to prevent coercion and detter aggression

Naval Power

• reduction of naval forces in many countries to save spending

Air Power

• much of spending focussed on air power due to speed of response

Intelligence

• increased risks of terrorism has increased spending on intelligence

Future Balance of Global Power

• shift from importance of hard power to soft power

• US still dominant in economic and military power

• China’s economic power rapidly increasing, plans to modernise military and increase soft power

• possible bi-polar future with China and USA as 2 major powers

• multi-polar with emerging powers like EU and India taking the stage