China and the United States find themselves in a situation that is gradually souring, but the current US strategy towards China is not exclusively a Trumpian one.

This is no ordinary time in US-China relations. While President Trump lacks consistency, predictability, factuality on many areas in the US-China relationship, there is still a major lack of reciprocity in the US-China trade relationship. Even so, there still exists a viable pathway to a US-China relationship that is mutually beneficial and politically sustainable.

A divide is growing between veteran U.S. China policy experts and a new generation that display a far more hawkish approach. This is the result of shifts in both domestic and global contexts. Researchers can play an important diplomatic role in enhancing mutual understanding and thereby reducing tensions.

The future of Sino-American relations does not look bright from the way that America is currently approaching its disputes with China. In order to promote global peace and prosperity, China, the U.S., and the rest of the world must set aside ideological differences and focus on resolving shared issues and concerns.

High pressure from the United States hurts, but it won’t work in the long run. China doesn’t want the dispute to continue because there’s no good reason to damage two major economies and the world.

Useful lessons for overcoming today’s disputes can be drawn from the history of China-U.S. relations, which moved toward normalization during the 1970s.

US President Donald Trump’s behavior at the recent G7 meeting in Biarritz was criticized as careless and disruptive by many observers. Others argued that the press and pundits pay too much attention to Trump’s personal antics, tweets, and political games. In the long run, they argue, historians will consider them mere peccadilloes. The larger question is whether the Trump presidency proves to be a major turning point in American foreign policy, or a minor historical blip.

The future of China-U.S. relations turns on their ability to coexist within the same international system. Failure to do so could lead to confrontation and possible dismemberment of the international regime.

US Democratic candidates have thus far remained tightlipped about their views on China. Instead, candidates should give China more weight in their 2020 campaigns and overall foreign policy plans.

A decoupling of China and the United States in the high-tech sector will reshape the international order, as competition becomes routine and more intense. Everyone in the global market will feel the impact.