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.

For decades, globalization was conceived as one of the main drivers of positive transformation in the international system. The prevailing belief among academics and policymakers was that the intensification of flows of goods, services, capital, and people would promote economic growth and greater political stability.