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Xi-Trump Reset: India Must Watch New US-China Equation Closely
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Firstpost•27-09-2026, 14:02
Xi-Trump Reset: India Must Watch New US-China Equation Closely
- •Xi Jinping's reception by Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews signaled a shift in US-China relations, with China interpreting it as an acknowledgment of equality.
- •Despite the symbolic gestures, the core issues of tariffs, semiconductor controls, Taiwan, and military competition remain, indicating that protocol does not erase fundamental disagreements.
- •China is moving towards a strategy of "competitive coexistence" with the US, characterized by "cooperation as the mainstay, competition within proper limits, differences managed, and peace expected."
- •Chinese scholars are increasingly discussing a "constructive strategic stability relationship," accepting rivalry as a permanent condition rather than seeking full reconciliation or endless escalation.
- •India should carefully observe this evolving US-China dynamic, as assumptions of permanent confrontation may be misleading, and a partial stabilization could impact global supply chains and technology governance.
Key Questions Answered
Xi Jinping proposed a formula of cooperation as the mainstay, competition within proper limits, differences managed, and peace expected, aiming for competitive coexistence.
Scholars like Sun Chenghao and Da Wei discuss moving beyond traditional strategic competition toward constructive strategic stability, accepting rivalry as a permanent condition with clearer boundaries.
India must watch this equation because assumptions of permanent US-China confrontation may prove misleading, as Washington and Beijing establish guardrails while simultaneously competing and negotiating.
