Foundational paradigm to guide Sino-US relations

The state visit by the President of the United States to China was widely seen as an urgently needed stabilizer in Sino-US ties that was facing unpredictability.

This diplomatic confidence was bolstered by President Xi Jinping's declaration that he and US President Donald Trump had reached a consensus to construct a relationship of "constructive strategic stability" between China and the US.

This formulation is intended to serve as a new foundational paradigm for bilateral ties in a rapidly shifting global order.

From the Chinese perspective, it is hoped the year 2026 is elevated to a historic, landmark year fundamentally redefining the trajectory of Sino-US engagement.

While the Chinese host made clear an unwavering commitment to nurturing stable, healthy and sustainable relations with the US, he explicitly sought to avoid the perilous "Thucydides Trap" that historically plagued rising and established powers.

This newly articulated paradigm marks a vital cornerstone, which is strategically designed to provide robust guidance for relations between the two major global powers over the next three years and beyond, provided the relationship stays undistracted by peripheral geopolitical shocks.

However, despite this grand vision, the Sino-US summit is still being watched carefully by the international community. Both China and the US possess diverging priorities, and their bilateral dynamic is shaped by a mixture of strategic rivalry and deep, structural economic interdependence.

President Xi commenced the summit by striking a high and unambiguous note regarding Chinese preparedness to instill a positive, enduring stability into the ties.

He emphasized that cooperation must remain the absolute mainstay of Sino-US engagement, working alongside the careful management of inevitable competition and ideological differences in the pursuit of sustainable global peace.

Furthermore, Xi astutely framed his aspirations for the collaboration of these two great powers through a broader global perspective, emphasizing their shared responsibility in addressing overarching transnational challenges.

In stark contrast to Beijing's focus on long-term strategic frameworks, Trump approached the summit driven by acute domestic political imperatives.

The US president was visibly preoccupied with the pressing urgency to score immediate, tangible economic victories.

His focus was on ensuring Chinese commitments to purchase American goods, specifically targeting agricultural produce and Boeing aircraft.

Agricultural exports have a direct, disproportionate bearing on his core vote bank sprawling across the agro-based states of the American Midwest.

Plainly put, the driving force behind the US administration's negotiating posture was the severe risk of losing Republican control in both the Senate and the House of Representatives; securing the legislature is the metric that matters most to Trump.

Simultaneously, fierce technological rivalry remains a paramount sticking point.

The easing of stringent US restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports and the comprehensive rolling back of administrative measures aimed at blocking China's access to critical, next-generation chip-manufacturing technology remain absolutely central to the interests of Beijing.

Consequently, the most realistic, low-hanging fruits of this high-stakes diplomatic summit will likely manifest in the more easily quantifiable realms of commerce. We can expect increases in the bulk purchase of US goods by Chinese enterprises, operating alongside a mutual de-escalation of the damaging "tit-for-tat" tariff war, and the diplomatic reaffirmation of the US' one-China policy.

All in all, regardless of the granular details of the agreements reached, which are still largely under wraps, the public outcome of the summit will be meticulously curated by both sides.

The author is president of the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.