How the US went from ‘a position of strength’ to ‘gung-ho’ on China

Jianlu Bi is a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy in Focus think tank at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, and a research fellow at the Charhar Institute in Beijing.Not so long ago, Washington’s approach to relations with Beijing was anchored by a single assertive phrase: dealing “from a position of strength”. It was rooted in a unipolar mindset: a belief that the United States could dictate terms, manage competition unilaterally and demand compliance from a distance.Yet, at their recent summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump formally established a new strategic framework: a “constructive strategic stability relationship based on respect, fairness and reciprocity”.The shift in the American mindset was visible in the reception of Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, from the moment their plane landed in Washington. Trump and first lady Melania Trump took the extraordinary step of welcoming the couple on the tarmac. Accompanied by a 21-gun salute, full military honours from every service branch and a dramatic fighter jet flyover above the White House, Washington sent an unmistakable signal that it acknowledged China as an equal on the global stage.