TRADE AND DISPUTE OVER HEGEMONIC LEADERSHIP: THE 500 COMPANIES THAT CONTROL THE WORLD

Abstract

The debate over the decline of US world hegemony is regaining strength due to the growing Chinese participation in the world market; Many analysts and decision makers are adopting these hypotheses as true. To approach a possible response, the concept of hegemony and leadership coined by the strategic production approach Ana Esther Ceceña and Raúl Ornelas is used in this paper, which explains the participation of transnational companies and national states as the leading actors the vision of the capitalist hegemonic world through the use of multilevel strategies; where commerce plays a preponderant role. On the other hand, at the methodological level an analysis of the real market control of the 500 most powerful multinational corporations of these two nations is carried out, using the Link Network Analysis (ARV) methodology, in order to identify their degree of influence (sales and income), analyze the indicators of direct centrality (hub) and intermediation (betweennes). The results obtained show that earnings and income are concentrated in US companies, followed by Chinese companies, so that in the medium term a relief of US hegemony in the commercial sphere is not foreseen. In the same way, it is detected that qualitatively and quantitatively the dispute is centered on two power poles, so whoever wants to get on the commercial chess board must know the strategies of the most competitive players, of that size is the challenge of underdeveloped countries.