In the midst of the Cold War, US policymakers became convinced that détente with China would best serve America’s strategic interests. It was only made possible after the question of Taiwan was handled with diplomatic dexterity. The magic formulation clinched after painstaking negotiation was US acknowledgement of the Chinese position that “there is one China, and Taiwan is a part of China”.

China’s space program should not be underestimated, as it continues to match U.S. space station technological accomplishments and take on ambitious projects.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his invasion of Ukraine on February 24, he envisaged a quick seizure of Kyiv and a change of government analogous to Soviet interventions in Budapest in 1956 and Prague in 1968. But it wasn’t to be. The war is still raging, and no one knows when or how it will end.

The raging Russia-Ukraine conflict is a stark reminder of the urgency of effective management of weapons of mass destruction. The international community must come together to restart the long-stalled international negotiations over arms control and nuclear disarmament by fully utilizing the existing mechanisms and platforms and generating greater consensus and impetus among all stakeholders. A staunch supporter of the international arms control and nuclear disarmament regime, China adheres to its longstanding nuclear policy of maximum restraint and remains committed to the pursuit of a new path leading to a world of enduring peace and stability.

The Shangri-La Dialogue underscored the importance of military-to-military relations as a stabilizing factor in China-U.S. relations. While they have been the most sensitive and closely watched aspect, they have also been one of the few bright spots.

Neither China nor the U.S. wants to see a humanitarian crisis brought by famine in developing nations. At the UN General Assembly in September, President Xi Jinping listed food security among eight key areas for China-U.S. cooperation. There is much that the major powers can do.

The BRICS and Quad organizations, led by China and the U.S. respectively, have begun making competing overtures to nations in Asia in an attempt to counter each other’s influence.

Heightened U.S. military deployments on the Korean Peninsula will only exacerbate the regional security dilemma that affects China, Russia and the DPRK. Meanwhile, exclusivity between the United States and ROK in some trade sectors will be hard to pull off.

America wants to back away some, but not entirely, as the region has become an important geopolitical factor. So U.S engagement will be limited. With Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific in play, it cannot afford to add resources to the Arab region.

If the United States and China went into armed conflict, it would be ruinous for both nations. The two governments must work together to find common ground, address arising issues, including tensions with Taiwan, and prevent war.