Taiwan question should not destabilize China-US relations

Obviously it is not just a few people in Washington that are pessimistic about relations with China, and assume that Beijing and Washington are headed straight toward the notorious Thucydides trap.

Which may not be unlikely, given that the frustration at the stalled trade negotiations seems to be spilling over and poisoning the overall relationship, with China-bashing all the rage on Capitol Hill.

Whether or not it is meant as a sideshow to help US trade negotiators in their bargaining with their Chinese counterparts, the recent leveraging of Taiwan to irk Beijing has, intentionally or not, the potential to fundamentally derail the China-US relationship, which has generally progressed on a smooth track over the past four decades.