In a new paper, top think tank offers a path to avoiding conflict, warning Washington’s stance on Taiwan remains a catastrophic risk
4-MIN READ4-MIN ListenShi JiangtaoPublished: 10:17pm, 22 May 2026The original think tank paper was published in Chinese. SCMP Plus members can read an English translationhere.A Chinese state think tank has offered a detailed road map to steer China and the US towards peaceful coexistence, as the competition between the two powers has entered a new strategic stalemate.In a paper published on May 13 – the same day US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for a high-stakes visit – the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (Cicir) outlined Beijing’s approach to managing the rivalry, introducing the concept of “constructive strategic stability” as the path forward.Advertisement
That same diplomatic formula was raised by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his talks with Trump on May 14, elevating it as the guiding vision for the relationship.
The Cicir paper argued that the rivalry had moved beyond the preliminary stalemate of Trump’s first term into a new, full-scale strategic one.
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It warned that, given the current dynamic, US-China relations faced major tests ahead, and the likelihood of conflict was growing.
