The Clash Between China and the United States and Security in the Asia-Pacific Region – A Security Dilemma, a Balance of Power and the Bandwagon Effect

This article attempts to answer the question about the security situation in the Asia-Pacific region. The authors decided to verify the authenticity of the thesis that Asia witnessed the birth of a new security dilemma based on the data on the amount of defense spending among the key countries of the region (China, the United States, Japan, Russia, Pakistan, Australia, and India). The second thesis that the authors want to confirm or reject is that there is a coalition in the Asia-Pacific area that is creating a balance of power and, at the same time, a growing number of countries that want to join the PRC. To this end, the authors have used a content analysis method and a comparative method. The first chapter is a brief description of the article’s theoretical framework in the form of a realistic current in international relations and security research and an explanation of the concepts of power balance, security dilemma, and bandwagoning applied. The second chapter presents data on the defense spending of the most important actors in the region. In the third chapter, which is a substitute for a conclusion, the authors will analyze the situation in the Asia-Pacific region using the previously presented theoretical approach and empirical data.