The meeting between President Xi Jinping and U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in Bali, Indonesia, was one that garnered worldwide attention. Based on statements released from the Chinese side, the meeting in Bali “achieved the intended purpose of having in-depth communication, clarifying intentions, making clear where the red lines are, preventing conflicts, setting the direction and exploring cooperation.” It demonstrates that communication has always been one of the solutions to China-U.S. bilateral disputes, conflicts and confrontations, no matter how serious they are. Cooperation is the best choice for China-U.S. relations, and the two countries see no need for a new Cold War.
China and the U.S. represent the most significant bilateral relationship in the world, which matters to global peace and development. In recent years, however, China-U.S. relations have been deteriorating and seemed to be falling into the so-called “Thucydides’ trap,” triggering the new Cold War concern. The two presidents responded to this concern at the meeting. President Xi Jinping said that China-U.S. relations should not be a zero-sum game where one side out-competes or thrives at the expense of the other, and that the world in the 21st century must avoid repeating the mistakes of the Cold War. The two sides should form a correct perception of each other’s domestic and foreign policies and strategic intentions. China-U.S. interactions should be defined by dialogue and win-win cooperation, not confrontation or zero-sum competition. President Biden stated that the U.S. respects China’s system, it does not seek a new Cold War, it does not seek to revitalize alliances against China and it has no intention to have a conflict with China or to contain China. Thus, neither the Cold War nor a new Cold War is a choice for both countries. The meeting identified a clear direction to prevent China-U.S. relations from getting out of control and sought to find the right way for the two countries to get along with each other. Avoiding a new Cold War is the premise.
