Contest of dominance

Comments on Hugh White "Asian Century must begin with great-power accommodation", 30/06/2015

While it would be ideal that the scenario in the second last paragraph becomes true, there is no certainty and assurance of that.

If people watch the animal world presented by David Attenborough, one may be left with the impression that the existing dominant male seldom voluntarily gives way to a new challenger male and there is often a fight between the two as a succession of the dominant males in the group.

Would the US and China come to that, or would human beings are more intelligent than those animals?