A Dangerous Moment

Unlike Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping seems to understand the damage that can occur if rivalry with the United States is taken to the extreme. However, a bilateral relationship will remain difficult.

According to protocol, it would not have been necessary for state and party leader Xi Jinping to invite U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing. The friendly words with which Xi addressed his guest were also not compulsory. Beijing’s leadership obviously wanted to send a strong signal that it is interested in stabilizing relations with the United States.

No Contact between Militaries

One can only welcome this because it involves the most important bilateral relationship in the world. Unlike Putin, Xi seems to understand the damage that can occur if one’s rivalry with the leading power of the West is taken to the extreme.

Nevertheless, it will remain a difficult task to ensure that “competition does not veer into conflict,” as Blinken described it. Channels for crisis communication and contact between militaries would have been helpful here, especially on the delicate maritime issues in Asia.

However, China does not want either; keeping the other side in the dark can undoubtedly be an advantage as well. In turn, an unhealthy competition prevails in America over the toughest policy on China — fueled mainly by Republicans.

The rise of a new superpower and the (relative) fall of an old one have always been dangerous moments in global politics. But they don’t have to end in wars when reasonable politicians are at the helm.