United States Government vs People's Republic of China: Who Gets to the Aliens First?
Most analysis asks who is stronger. Warlord Intel asks who has leverage.
Short answer
This scenario fundamentally reshapes global power dynamics, shifting competition from traditional resources to influence over extraterrestrial contact. The inability of humanity to agree on a single representative is the central friction, driving intense, non-military rivalry. Failure to unify could lead to a prolonged period of missed opportunity and potential internal strife, elevating the global impact to critical levels, even in the absence of direct military conflict.