Panelists at the 14th World Peace Forum gave differing views on “constructive strategic stability,” with some seeing room for deeper dialogue and others warning ties still resemble managed rivalry.
Scholars and policy experts at the 14th World Peace Forum in Beijing examined whether steadier China-US relations can still underpin an increasingly fragmented international system. In a panel on “China-US Relations and International Stability,” moderated by Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, speakers from China, the United States and international institutions offered diverging assessments of the bilateral relationship and its wider global impact. Thomas Fingar of Stanford University said a framework centered mainly on China-US competition misses the growing role of regional conflicts, shifting alliances and third countries’ policy choices in shaping world affairs, arguing that broader international engagement remains necessary. Several speakers pointed to the recent meeting between the Chinese and US presidents, where both sides described their relationship as one of “constructive strategic stability,” a phrase Wu Xinbo of Fudan University and Yu Tiejun of Peking University called an important move toward more stable long-term ties and away from emphasis on decoupling and de-risking. They said that shift could support more dialogue in areas including artificial intelligence, financial governance, arms control and crisis management. Clifford Kupchan, chairman emeritus of Eurasia Group, took a more cautious line, describing the relationship as “competitive coexistence” and saying recent progress has focused more on guardrails (measures to prevent escalation) and conflict prevention than on broader cooperation. He argued that accelerating technology decoupling and supply-chain separation are making the relationship look more like the US-Soviet model during the Cold War, where major issues had to be managed separately despite deeper strategic rivalry. Sun Yun, co-director of the East Asia Program and director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, said Beijing and Washington still interpret “constructive strategic stability” differently, with China emphasizing cooperation and the United States placing greater weight on risk management and crisis prevention. Looking ahead, she said the trajectory of China-US ties would be shaped by President Trump's personal approach and China’s growing national strength.