Comment by Paradigma11

Regarding your edited added hegemony aspect. That is only true if you define subservience as curtailing your imperialist ambitions.

When the US was engaged in Afghanistan and Iraq the Bush admin and diplomatic circles floated the idea to get China to take on more responsibility in the South China Sea to help manage those territorial disputes.

After all the US was stretched thin and China had and would gain(ed) so much from the rule based order that surely they would be interested in maintaining the status quo and continue to prosper.

Well, next thing China released a map reaffirming their ridiculous 9 dotted line claims and dashed any hope of a cooperation.