When Rivals Become Enemies: Unpacking Xi's Plea to Trump The phrase that dominated last week's meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump was not a veiled threat, but an invitation – or rather, a plea – to reconsider the trajectory of their countries' complex relationship.
The "Thucydides Trap" has become the unlikely framework for understanding the escalating tensions between China and the US.
At its core, the theory posits that when a rising power threatens to supplant an established dominant force, structural tensions emerge, making conflict increasingly likely.