‘Should be partners, not rivals’: Xi Jinping calls for cooperation, not confrontation, during meeting with Trump

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for “cooperation” instead of “confrontation” between China and the United States during his bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump in Beijing, as part of the two-day visit to the country, noting that the two biggest economies in the world “should be partners, not rivals”.

Speaking during the high-level meeting, Xi said the world was undergoing “a transformation not seen in a century” and stressed the importance of stable China-US relations amid global uncertainty. “The whole world is watching our meeting. Currently, a transformation not seen in a century is accelerating across the globe, and the international situation is fluid and turbulent. The world has come to a new crossroads,” the Chinese President said.

Raising broader questions about the future of ties between the two global powers, Xi questions if the US and China can overcome the “Thucydides trap” and venture into a “new paradigm” of relations.

Xi Jinping warns China and the US must avoid the ‘Thucydides Trap’

Thucydides Trap refers to the historic pattern where fear between a rising power and a dominant one leads to conflict.

“These are questions posed by history, the world, and peoples,” Xi stressed. https://t.co/dgtBVzBSZA pic.twitter.com/b4jODRErTj

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“Can China and the United States overcome the Thucydides trap and create a new paradigm of major country relations? Can we meet global challenges together and provide more stability for the world? Can we, in the interests of the well-being of our two peoples and the future of humanity, build a brighter future together for our bilateral relations?” Xi said. “These are the questions vital to history, to the world, and to the people. They are the questions of our times that you and I need to answer as leaders of major countries,” he added.

Xi, through his “Thucydides trap” remark, referred to the recent conflict in West Asia between the US and Iran. The term, first popularised by Harvard scholar Graham T Allison, highlighted the intense structural tensions and increased risk of conflict that arise when an emerging power challenges the dominance of an existing global power.

Xi further highlighted the significance of ties between the two nations noting that both countries stood to gain through cooperation and lose through confrontation. “I always believe that our two countries have more common interests than differences. Success in one is an opportunity for the other. And a stable bilateral relationship is good for the world. China and the United States both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation,” he stated.

“We should be partners, not rivals. We should help each other succeed and prosper together and find the right way for major countries to get along well with each other in the new era,” Xi added.

Xi also welcomed Trump back to China after nine years and congratulated the United States ahead of the 250th anniversary of American Independence. “I am very pleased to meet you in Beijing. Welcome back to China after nine years… This year is the 250th anniversary of American Independence. Congratulations to you and to the American people,” he said.

The Chinese President further expressed hope that both leaders could work together to open “a new chapter” in bilateral relations. “Mr President, I look forward to our discussions on major issues important to our two countries and the world. And working together with you to set the course for and steer the giant ship of China-US relations so as to make 2026 a historic landmark year that opens up a new chapter in China-US relations,” Xi said.

The meeting between the two leaders comes amid continued global focus on US-China ties, particularly on issues related to trade, technology, regional security, and geopolitical competition. (ANI)