Donald Trump's visit to China marked a transition from open confrontation to managed competition, focusing on predictability and stability. Facing the global costs of tensions, both countries seek damage control. Xi Jinping proposed a "relationship of strategic stability," prioritizing cooperation within manageable limits. For Beijing, the goal is to institutionalize mechanisms to prevent escalations, securing economic growth and investment flows.

Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz Conflict Directly Impacts the Global Economy—Especially China

According to power transition theory, when a rising power approaches the level of a dominant power, rivalry and instability tend to increase (Organski, 1958). In turn, offensive realism argues that states seek to maximize their relative power as a way to ensure their survival in an anarchic international system (Mearsheimer, 2001).