Xi: U.S. and China Can Overcome the Thucydides Trap

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that the "Thucydides Trap can be overcome" during his White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, signaling a shift from his May question about avoiding destructive rivalry between the two powers. The Thucydides Trap, popularized by Harvard professor Graham Allison, describes how rising and ruling powers have historically often clashed in war. Xi's comment followed remarks on peaceful coexistence, stating the U.S. and China can have "healthy" competition without confrontation, comparing it to a race rather than a wrestle. Xi's state visit was his first to the U.S. in 11 years. A Chinese professor called the establishment of a bottom line—competing intensely without military conflict—the summit's "most significant political outcome," while Trump has yet to comment on Taiwan despite Xi's call to oppose "Taiwan independence."