During the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum on Sept. 18-19 at the Beijing International Convention Center, Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) and Professor of International Relations at Tsinghua University, was interviewed by China-US Focus Beijing editor Huang Zhijin. Da Wei believes that in the short term, China-U.S. relations will remain focused on maintaining stability; and as domestic political imperatives and broader global strategic considerations increasingly dominate the policy agenda, the Indo-Pacific strategy under Trump 2.0 appears to be losing substance.

The recent prisoner swap and forward movement on illicit drugs by China and the United States demonstrates that the two powers can make stabilizing progress together when they put their minds to it. But more uncertainty is on the way, as Donald Trump returns to the White House.

The summit meeting of presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden was an opportunity to redefine the narrative, find balance and set a precedent for a more predictable framework in which global challenges can be tackled together. The world is watching.

Despite the prevailing view of "structural fatalism" in Sino-American relations, there is a growing determination on the part of both Chinese and American leaderships to engage in direct dialogue and build trust. A high-level, face-to-face meeting between Presidents Xi and Biden is essential for addressing critical questions, clarifying baselines, and signaling the willingness for further communication, with a focus on managing the Sino-U.S. relationship.

Industrial and supply chains have become the main theater of competition between China and the United States. America’s technology war will be deliberate, intense and long-term. For this reason, China must be strategically prepared for a protracted fight.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to Beijing may help set the tone for cordial bilateral ties with China, but could also stir wariness on the part of the country’s longstanding treaty ally, the United States. The Philippines must carefully navigate its position to avoid being seen as favoring either side.

Will the Asia-Pacific chart a course forward? Or will it return to the status quo of the Cold War? Mentality matters, and the old thinking inevitably leads to misjudgments. The U.S. sees China through the same prism it once saw the Soviet Union but neglects the fundamental differences of two hugely different ages.

We need to learn how to respect differences and live harmoniously, because not all people or cultures are alike. It’s not healthy for the new Indo-Pacific concept — which works against open regionalism — to replace the traditional notion of the Asia-Pacific.

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.

The systemic challenge for the U.S. is not China but the worst inflation in 40 years. In fact, fragmentation does not seem to be happening in the real world. Even an Asia-Pacific version of NATO will not likely divide the region, as China will continue to be a major trade partner.