This year’s G20 summit was haunted by the war in Ukraine, changing the complexion of nearly all interactions at the meeting. A sober assessment of the situation between Taiwan and China leaves much room for speculation about how an escalated conflict there might affect the world’s powers at large.

Do three recent high-level meetings mean that Beijing wants to fill a vacuum? No — there is no vacuum, despite a comment by U.S. President Joe Biden. The goal of Arab people in seeking friendly relations with China is not security but development.

In the late 70s of the last century I was appointed as a member of the Egyptian delegation to the United Nations in Geneva dealing with international security issues and disarmament at the Palais des Nation. A young Egyptian diplomat, I was quickly startled when i witnessed both the Soviet and American delegates vehemently arguing and promoting the strategic logic, sustainability and intrinsic deterrent value of nuclear deterrence and particularly that of “Mutually Assured Destruction ”. China had not yet joined the Committee as a functioning member.

Despite tensions between the U.S. and China on the economic and political fronts, leaders from both countries found some common ground during their recent meeting in Bali. Presidents Biden and Xi have reiterated their commitment to work together to address transnational challenges, avoid conflict with each other, and maintain open communication.

Indonesia famously played host to Joe Biden and Xi Jinping’s first face-to-face meeting of Biden’s presidency; a milestone in the great power rivalry between East and West. Historically, Indonesia has also been the site of another major international summit - the Bandung Conference which produced a network of “non-aligned” states. Each of these events is a mirror of our modern times as Southeast Asia’s medium-sized powers seek to navigate a contentious climate between the U.S. and China’s competing influences.

China is a traditional land power and is currently in the initial stage of building into a maritime power. On the other hand, the United States is a traditional

This is a highlight moment for ASEAN, with the ASEAN Summit, the G20 Summit and the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting coming soon. By hosting these events, ASEAN will be able to demonstrate to the world its strong will and capability to unite the region and provide new impetus for the post pandemic recovery.

Join CSIS for this hybrid event — in-person and live online — to hear from Trustee Chair in Chinese Business & Economics Scott Kennedy, who will discuss the takeaways from his recent extended research trip to China, the first by someone from the Washington think tank community since the outbreak of the pandemic. He will be interviewed and engage in discussion with Peking University Professor Wang Jisi, Founding President of Peking University's Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS) and one of China’s leading authorities on U.S.-China relations. They will discuss developments in domestic Chinese society, U.S.-China relations, and potential pathways to improving the relationship. This event is the bookend event to the February 2022 CSIS event, “A Beijinger in Washington”.

Though Biden and Xi’s first face-to-face meeting since Biden’s presidential term began came with offers of civility and friendship, there remains much work to be done if the U.S.-China rivalry will be toned down within Biden’s first term.

The international landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade, with emerging economies and the intertwining of the interests around the world. The United States will find it difficult to continue on the path that it has pursued since World War II.