Thucydides trap: Washington-Beijing confrontation and way out

The recent visit of US President Donald Trump to China and his bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping have once again drawn the focus of global politics. During the intensive dialogue lasting over two hours at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Chinese President Xi raised a profound historical concept of international relations, the “Thucydides Trap,” asking how the United States and China could escape it.

Connecting the historical context where misunderstandings between an established superpower and a rising power often trigger war due to third-party actions or external factors, Xi emphasised that in the changing dynamics of the new era, both nations must sketch a framework for fresh strategic stability to avert confrontation.