[U.S.-China Summit] "We Must Overcome the 'Thucydides Trap'"...Tough Stance on Taiwan (Comprehensive)

To Trump: "MAGA and China’s Rejuvenation Can Advance Together"

Proposes Constructive, Strategic Stability... "We Must Choose Cooperation"

Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized during a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump that China and the United States must seek a path of coexistence, rather than confrontation. He directly referenced the "Thucydides Trap," which refers to the potential for conflict between a rising power and an established hegemon, and proposed creating a new framework for relations between major powers.

Yonhap News

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on May 14, President Xi stated at the U.S.-China summit held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing that "the stability of China-U.S. relations is a positive factor for the world" and that "major powers must pursue the right path of coexistence." He remarked, "Whether China and the United States can overcome the 'Thucydides Trap' and establish a new paradigm for relations between major powers is a historic question," adding, "It is also a response of our times that you and I, as leaders of great nations, must write together."

The Thucydides Trap is an international relations theory that suggests the rise of a new great power and the caution of an established hegemon can lead to conflict. President Xi also used this term during a meeting with then-U.S. President Joe Biden at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru, in 2024, stressing the need for coexistence between the U.S. and China.

During the summit, President Xi further stated that the two countries should pursue a path of cooperation rather than a trade war. He said, "The shared interests between China and the United States are greater than their differences, and I have always believed that each country's success creates opportunities for the other. When both sides unite, it benefits all; when they fight, everyone gets hurt." He continued, "It has been repeatedly proven that there are no winners in a trade war, and the essence of U.S.-China economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. When there are disagreements and frictions, equal consultation is the only right choice."

President Xi also stressed the need to maintain the momentum of the "positive outcomes" achieved by the two countries' economic and trade negotiation teams the previous day. He urged, "We must become partners, not rivals, achieve mutual success, and pursue common prosperity, walking together on the right path of coexistence for major powers in this new era."

As a new direction for bilateral relations, President Xi proposed "constructive and strategically stable" ties. He said, "President Trump and I have agreed to set the establishment of a 'constructive and strategically stable' relationship as the new position for our bilateral ties. This should be a proactive stability centered on cooperation, a positive stability where competition is kept in check, a state where disagreements are controllable, and a sustained stability that allows for the expectation of peace."

However, President Xi delivered a strong message regarding the Taiwan issue. He said, "The Taiwan issue is the most important matter in China-U.S. relations. If handled well, it can ensure overall stability between the two countries; if handled poorly, it could lead to confrontation and push the entire relationship into a very dangerous situation." He added, "Maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is the greatest common denominator for both sides. The U.S. must handle the Taiwan issue with the utmost prudence."

President Xi, welcoming President Trump to China for the first time in nine years since November 2017, said, "I am very pleased to meet you in Beijing," and proposed, "Let us make 2026 a historic and symbolic year that inherits the past and opens the future of China-U.S. relations."

President Trump also gave a positive assessment of U.S.-China relations. He said, "U.S.-China relations are very good, and President Xi and I have the best relationship among all past U.S.-China leaders." He added, "President Xi is a great leader, and China is a great country." He also stated, "The U.S. and China are the most important and powerful countries in the world, and U.S.-China cooperation can accomplish many great and positive things for both countries and the world," expressing his intent to strengthen communication and cooperation between the two nations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.