Xi and Putin vow to "inject stability into a turbulent world."

The many tensions that exist already between the U.S. and China already seemed to border unmanageable. And with the Russia-Ukraine conflict continuing to rage on, its long term effects will surely spill over into the relationship between East and West.

For the United States, any country that seems to pose a challenge cannot be tolerated. The abrupt transformation of China-U.S. relations into a strategic rivalry arose directly from the perception that China’s development poses a threat to U.S. dominance.

U.S.-China relations seem to hit a “new low” every other month, when instead both sides could be taking actionable steps to repair relations and move beyond petty squabbles on the world stage.

Generally speaking, the China-U.S.-Japan trilateral relationship is in a state of turbulence and serious imbalance. The Russia-Ukraine war and the latest Taiwan crisis have further eroded stability. Here is what’s needed now.

China’s aggressive manner of dealing with international relations has led to a harsh assessment of Chinese leadership in the global arena. To create a less hostile environment, Beijing needs to rehabilitate its foreign image - if not recalibrate its often controversial political goals.

The U.S.-China relationship started with uncertainty, and the consequences of this rocky foundation are seen today.

The two allies will feel the urge to escalate their positions on Taiwan as a way of testing each other’s loyalty. But intervention in the Taiwan Strait will leave the island in a state of strategic stagnation and will cause unnecessary regional turmoil.

The failure of the U.S. president’s Mideast visit in July can be attributed largely to insensitivity over the legitimate concerns of GCC countries. It’s yet another example of America’s long-standing pattern of pushing for its own agenda at the expense of others’ dignity.

It is counterproductive to set China and the ‘West’ up as rivals locked in an existential struggle over values. In light of the increasingly polarized views of the East and the West, it is crucial to steer clear of political absolutism to have a more truthful understanding and practical progress on a range of issues such as policy, education, health, etc.