Held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the summit — a milestone in the 26-year-old Shanghai process — came during turbulent times. The world’s political, economic and security situation is in flux, but it is certain that the summit will open a new stage of development for the Belt and Road Initiative.

In dealing with China, zero-sum mindset and "political correctness" is misleading and dangerous.

China’s rise to economic hegemony is the story that may define the 21st Century. Yet no tale is complete without a formidable challenge to overcome, and the tumultuous 2020s may derail China’s skyrocketing growth in a major way.

Relations with Central Asian countries have long been a significant part of China’s international diplomacy. And Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently traveled to the region to advance diplomatic relations, participate in the Samarkand Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and promote the development of the SCO.

Xi and Putin vow to "inject stability into a turbulent world."

The many tensions that exist already between the U.S. and China already seemed to border unmanageable. And with the Russia-Ukraine conflict continuing to rage on, its long term effects will surely spill over into the relationship between East and West.

For the United States, any country that seems to pose a challenge cannot be tolerated. The abrupt transformation of China-U.S. relations into a strategic rivalry arose directly from the perception that China’s development poses a threat to U.S. dominance.

U.S.-China relations seem to hit a “new low” every other month, when instead both sides could be taking actionable steps to repair relations and move beyond petty squabbles on the world stage.

Generally speaking, the China-U.S.-Japan trilateral relationship is in a state of turbulence and serious imbalance. The Russia-Ukraine war and the latest Taiwan crisis have further eroded stability. Here is what’s needed now.

China’s aggressive manner of dealing with international relations has led to a harsh assessment of Chinese leadership in the global arena. To create a less hostile environment, Beijing needs to rehabilitate its foreign image - if not recalibrate its often controversial political goals.