US rivalry with China relies on military might while China uses economic investment

Evidence

The Chinese government has generally pursued this competition and the challenge of securing oil, resources, and markets by using its economic might—that is, by dotting the globe with strategic investments and development projects, such as a planned canal through Nicaragua that would rival the Panama Canal. The U.S. government, by contrast, has focused relentlessly on using military might as its trump card regionally and globally—that is, by dotting the planet with lily pads, troops, and other forms of military power. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 1007

Categorization

• XREF: Parallels the scramble-for-Africa framing and the broader US-versus-rising-powers competition theme threading the chapter.