What two countries are primarily emphasized as challenges in great-power competition?

The emphasis on China and Russia as challenges in great-power competition is rooted in their increasing military capabilities, strategic ambitions, and influence in global affairs. Both nations have actively pursued policies that directly confront the interests and values of the United States and its allies.

China has emerged as a major economic and military power, seeking to expand its influence in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, often challenging U.S. hegemony through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and aggressive territorial claims in the South China Sea. This rise is perceived as a direct challenge to the established international order.

Russia, on the other hand, has shown a willingness to use military force to achieve its geopolitical goals, notably in its actions in Ukraine and its engagements in Syria. Its strategic maneuvers and cultivation of partnerships with other nations also reflect a desire to counter Western influence.

While the other options represent significant challenges, their scope and impact on current great-power competition do not match the direct confrontation posed by China and Russia, which are explicitly recognized in U.S. defense and foreign policy frameworks as the foremost competitors in terms of strategic military and economic power.