Thucydides trap can be avoided

China and the US must make greater efforts to understand each other's key interests and better manage their differences

The presidents of China and the United States wrapped up their two-day summit in Sunnylands, California, without signing a series of agreements or releasing a joint statement, as is usually the case at the end of a state visit. However, since the meetings were informal, the role of this summit was to act as a more effective way for the two countries to communicate with each other.

During the meetings, the two leaders touched upon a wide range of issues relating to the bilateral relationship, which was necessary to improve the dispute management between the two sides, and so help them escape the Thucydides trap, which refers to the ancient Greek historian's observation that a rising power can alarm an established power to such an extent that war is inevitable.