The dynamics of the USA and China relations in the cyberspace: struggle for power in a global virtual world in building a global cyber regime

Cyberspace as a virtual space which connects diverse actors across national borders has changed the shape of contemporary international relations and become a challenge for both decision makers and international relations scholars. Nevertheless, cyberspace also becomes a pivotal point for both the USA and China as two leading actors in contemporary global politics. We highlight the relations between those two countries in the cyberspace as an arena to increase their power both through cooperation and competition especially during 2010-2015 and 2015-2018 based on the perspective of realism in international relations with the concept of cyberpolitics. The findings suggest that the complex dynamics of relations between the USA and China are determined by the structure of global politics, high degree of non-state actors' participation from both sides as well as different perspectives and interests on perceiving cyberspace. However, both countries are trying to use the virtual space as well as its complexity to increase their power. The intensifying dynamics between the two countries lead to a power struggle in building the global cyber regimes to their own values.