US-China Rivalry is a well-researched and empirically rich study that covers a wide range of cases. While Fong emphasizes system-level forces as the primary drivers of great-power politics, he also demonstrates how unit-level forces can accelerate or slow a state's responses, reinforcing but not replacing a structural realist explanation. A key contribution of the book is its examination of great-power competition beyond military dynamics over states and quasi-states, particularly through economic means and influence. Fong offers a wealth of empirical detail on where and how great powers compete for influence, while his scenario analysis provides valuable policy insights for the future.