Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Washington for a state visit and a high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump. This trip marks Xi's second state visit to the United States, following his first in 2015. The visit aims to complete reciprocal visits between the two presidents within months. The world's most important bilateral relationship has experienced turbulence over the past decade, making it crucial for Beijing and Washington to manage ties and find areas of cooperation.
During their meeting in May, Xi hosted Trump in Beijing and posed three questions: Can China and the US overcome the Thucydides Trap and create a new paradigm of major-country relations? Can they address global challenges together and provide greater stability for the world? Can they build a bright future for their bilateral relations, benefiting both nations and humanity? These questions were raised amid years of turbulence in bilateral ties, including trade disputes and tech curbs.
Xi and Trump have agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability over the next three years and beyond. According to Da Wei, director of the Centre for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, this marks the first time in over a decade that China and the US have established a consensus on defining their relationship. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized that head-of-state diplomacy is the anchor of China-US relations.
Xi has maintained contact with Trump through various means, including face-to-face meetings and phone calls, since Trump's re-election. During the May visit, Xi invited Trump to Zhongnanhai, the leadership compound in central Beijing, for a private meeting. Xi and Trump also interacted in a more personal setting, strolling in the garden and chatting while admiring ancient trees and Chinese roses.
Economic and trade relations should serve as the "ballast" and driving force for China-US relations, rather than a stumbling block or point of friction. Xi told Trump that there is no winner in a trade war and that decoupling and cutting off supply chains will not hold back China's development process. The dialogue between their economic and trade teams has continued, with their latest round of talks concluded in New York on Sunday.
Xi has often likened China-US relations to a giant ship that requires ballast to stay on course through rough waters. He has also emphasized the importance of people-to-people relations, encouraging American university students to foster greater mutual understanding and affinity between the two nations. Xi believes that the youth carry the future and hope of this relationship.
Experts believe that China and the US have a big stake in constructive strategic stability, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, climate change mitigation, public health, and counter-narcotics. Rather than expecting immediate perfect cooperation, the more immediate objective should be to prevent disputes over issues like tariffs and critical minerals that could lead to further escalation.
Key points
- China and US leaders aim to establish a new paradigm of major-country relations.
- Economic and trade relations should serve as the "ballast" for China-US relations.
- People-to-people relations are crucial for the steady and sustained development of bilateral relations.
