Xi Jinping cites 'Thucydides trap' in high-stakes meeting with Trump, mentions future war risk

BEIJING, CHINA: The talks between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, May 13, during Trump’s two-day visit to Beijing, China, reportedly took a dramatic turn when Xi raised the prospect of future war risk between the US and China.

Xi opened his speech with reference to the geopolitical concept known as the 'Thucydides trap', or the risk that emerges when a rising power starts challenging the more powerful and established nation.

Chinese president mentions war risks between the US and China

Currently, President Donald Trump is on a state visit to China to participate in a two-day summit in Beijing, which marks the first visit by a US president since 2017, when Trump travelled to China during his first tenure as president.

The President of China Xi Jinping began his speech with the acknowledgment that the world has its eyes on the summit taking place in Beijing between the leaders of the top economies.

“The whole world is watching our meeting,” Xi began, according to one translation of his remarks.

“Currently, transformation not seen in a century is accelerating across the globe, and the international situation is fluid and turbulent,” he continued with Trump seated across the table. “The world has come to a new crossroads.”

He further raised concerns about the future prospects of the bilateral relations between the US and China, speculating whether the two nations would be able to embark on a new journey, leaving the strained relationship behind.

“Can China and the United States overcome the Thucydides trap and create a new paradigm of major country relations? Can we meet global challenges together and provide more stability for the world? Can we, in the interest of the well-being of our two peoples and the future of humanity, build a brighter future together for our bilateral relations?” he asked.

Trump doesn't counter Xi's 'Thucydides trap' remark

After Xi Jinping concluded his speech, Trump began to speak but didn’t specifically address his counterpart’s remarks, but predicted: “The relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.”

“It’s an honor to be with you. It’s an honor to be your friend,” Trump said.  

“I really look very much forward to our discussion,” he added. “It’s a big discussion. There are those that say, this is maybe the biggest summit ever.”

The Thucydides trap was coined by Harvard professor Graham Allison. The concept is named after the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, who wrote that the rise of Athens put Sparta in such a defensive posture that war was inevitable.

Xi has used the term regarding the US since at least 2014.