China and US would gain from ditching of zero-sum mentality

A zero-sum mentality, which refers to game theory in which a gain for one side means an equal loss for another, has dominated the thinking of some when they look at China-US relations.

When US President Donald Trump released his new budget this week to greatly increase the defense spending by partly slashing State Department funding, some in the West were quick to conclude that this was a win for China. They claimed that the retreat of US diplomacy would allow China to expand its influence.

There has also been discussion in the United States about whether Trump's protectionist and isolationist policy equals a greater leadership role on the world stage for China.