U.S. international affairs experts said that while competition in areas like technology remains between the United States and China, both countries have sent positive signals by agreeing to constructively manage their differences, a move that would ease global market concerns.
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump was on a state visit to China from Wednesday to Friday. The two leaders held talks in Beijing on Thursday.
Robert Hormats, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, hailed the new characterization of China-U.S. relations as seeking a constructive relationship of strategic stability. He believes the two countries need to handle healthy competition in many areas, while also finding ways to cooperate for shared goals.
"I think that terminology actually is a very constructive one that we have to figure out ways of dealing with what is certainly going to be a competitive relationship in many areas, but also to figure out areas within that overall competition where our two countries can, A, work together on common goals; B, manage issues that we have differences on, and, C, very candid and trusting of what one another says. China specifically says what its thoughts are. We say what ours are. And we try to work out whatever differences are in a constructive way rather than a confrontational way," said Hormats. Some scholars noted that "stability" is the crucial word in the newly termed relationship between the United States and China. They expressed hope for more pragmatic steps in the future.
Sourabh Gupta, a senior fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies, expressed his approval of President Xi's remarks about overcoming the Thucydides Trap, saying such a narrative removes potential hazards from the U.S.-China relationship and helps the two countries find common interests and move forward together.
"I thought the way President Xi talked about it is an excellent way in kind of to drain the poison from that issue and find common ground where the two parties can therefore, thereafter move forward," said Gupta.
Int'l experts hail constructive outcomes of Xi-Trump meeting
