Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for greater cooperation between China and the United States and urged both countries to avoid confrontation, as he held bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump during the latter’s visit to Beijing.
Addressing the meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Xi said the world was undergoing “a transformation not seen in a century” and stressed the importance of stable ties between the world’s two largest economies amid growing 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.
Xi also raised broader questions about whether Beijing and Washington could move beyond strategic rivalry and build a new framework for bilateral relations.
“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’s reference to the “Thucydides trap” invoked a concept popularised by Harvard scholar Graham T. Allison, which describes the heightened risk of conflict when a rising power challenges an established global power.
Xi said that both nations would benefit from cooperation and suffer from 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.
Welcoming Trump back to China after nine years, Xi also 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 the two leaders could work together to shape a new phase in bilateral ties.
“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.