If China and the United States can build on the positive momentum created through leader-level diplomacy, improving communication and crisis-management mechanisms, and can continue achieving practical outcomes, then the idea of a constructive strategic stability relationship will solidify.

Trump’s high-stakes visit to China against a backdrop of conflict with Iran and economic tit-for-tat exchanges have made those issues the central focus for observers, but the shift in the U.S. President’s tone on Taiwan’s defense may be just as consequential as any deal that emerges.

The May 14-15 summit meeting in Beijing between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump resulted in some badly needed stabilization in bilateral relations. Both the symbols and the substance of the visit suggest a return to some normalcy of regularized interactions and the ability of the two leaders and their teams to discuss some of the most sensitive issues between the two sides. Even if detailed agreements are not reached (and not many were) there is still considerable value in such direct exchanges.

The recent visit by U.S. President Donald Trump and by Russian President Vladimir Putin can be seen as a limited buffer in current major-power dynamics.

China-U.S. relations involve the well-being of some 8 billion people worldwide. Both sides, therefore, need to safeguard their hard-won stability. They should honor their commitments and move toward each other to create favorable conditions for building a more promising future.

China is methodically strengthening its global position through diplomacy with Europe, soft-power engagement toward Taiwan, and long-term economic and energy preparation in the Middle East while presenting itself as a stabilizing force amid global instability. Recent crises, from Taiwan tensions to the Hormuz disruption, reflect a broader shift toward a more multipolar world in which Beijing benefits from strategic patience and the gradual erosion of unquestioned U.S. influence.

Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 34 percent among the American people, the lowest level of his second term. Given the U.S. war against Iran, the growing internal divisions within his administration and the rising inflationary pressure at home, Trump now has juggle a lot at once.

Labeling China as part of an “Axis of Chaos” misrepresents its strategy by overstating its alignment with other U.S. adversaries and wrongly implying that it seeks global instability. China’s power and the challenge it poses to the United States instead stem primarily from its deep integration and central role in the global economy, not from fostering chaos or acting as part of a unified anti-U.S. bloc.

The U.S. faces a growing strategic risk from a shrinking pool of China experts, weakening its ability to manage intensifying competition with China. Efforts to limit engagement for security reasons may deepen this problem by reducing understanding, underscoring the need for targeted, security-conscious investment in expertise.

Key U.S. allies in Europe, North America, and Asia are increasingly courting China or hedging toward it in response to growing uncertainty and unilateralism in American foreign policy under Donald Trump. This shift reflects a broader recalibration toward strategic autonomy and multipolarity, as allies seek to diversify partnerships, reduce dependence on the U.S., and manage both the risks and opportunities posed by China’s rise.