It appears that prior to the visit of US President Donald Trump, Chinese authorities properly utilized diplomatic channels to clearly convey their red lines, notably concerning the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and other mega projects.

As a result, the issue was neither raised nor became part of the historic Beijing Summit.

Furthermore, during the head-of-state meeting, the Chinese President invoked the ancient Greek historian Thucydides. He specifically referenced the “Thucydides Trap,” a political theory popularized by Harvard professor Graham Allison based on the Peloponnesian War, to caution President Trump about the structural tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

This reference aptly suggests that when an established global superpower like the United States feels threatened by the rise of a new power such as China, conflict often becomes historically inevitable. However, such a trajectory should be systematically avoided because the two economies are fundamentally complementary, creating numerous mutually beneficial propositions.

The Chinese President’s message was loud and clear: China and the United States must transcend the so-called “Thucydides Trap” and forge a new paradigm for major-power relations. This relationship should be anchored in mutual respect, economic globalization, international cooperation, equality, productivity and, above all, the rule of law.

Many Western media outlets quoted this statement, interpreting it as a warning that aggressive containment policies could lead both nations into an extremely dangerous conflict, while urging........

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