JAKARTA - Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Beijing, Thursday (14/5), emphasized the importance of building a stable China-US relationship and avoiding the "Thucydides Trap."
"Can China and the United States escape the 'Thucydides Trap' and create a new paradigm of relations between major countries? Can we face global challenges together and provide greater stability for the world? said President Xi when meeting with President Trump at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, Thursday (14/5) as in the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The Thucydides Trap refers to a precarious situation when a rising great power (or state) is perceived as threatening to replace an established power so that the situation historically often leads to war.
In this case, the reference can be interpreted as the continued increase in China's strength which is considered to challenge the US global leadership.
Thucydides himself was an ancient Greek historian and wrote the book "History of the Peloponnesian War" which tells the story of the war between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century BC. His work is referred to as the first political and moral analysis of interstate warfare, so he is considered the father of scientific history and political realism.
"These are important questions for history, for the world, and for the public. These are the questions of the times that we as leaders of major countries need to answer together," Xi said as quoted by Antara.
He also said he was ready to work with Trump to determine the direction and steer the giant ship of China-US relations so that 2026 would be a historic and important year that opened a new chapter in China-US relations.
President Xi also stressed that China is committed to the development of a stable, good, and sustainable China-US relationship.
"I have agreed with President Trump on a new vision for building a constructive and strategically stable China-US relationship. This will provide strategic guidance for China-US relations over the next three years and beyond, and will be well received by the people of the two countries and the international community," said Xi.
"Constructive strategic stability", according to Xi, means positive stability with cooperation as a foundation, healthy stability with competition within reasonable limits, constant stability with manageable differences, and lasting stability with peace that can be expected.
President Xi noted that China-US economic and trade relations are mutually beneficial and mutually beneficial.
"If there are differences of opinion and friction, equal consultation is the only right choice. Yesterday, our economic and trade teams produced generally balanced and positive results. This is good news for the people of both countries and the world," said Xi.
Xi said the two countries should jointly maintain the good momentum that we have worked hard to create.
"China will only open its doors wider. US businesses are deeply involved in China's reform and opening up. China welcomes more mutually beneficial cooperation from the US," Xi said.
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