A provocative inauguration speech by Taiwan’s leader produced no new crisis, and risks in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea have been decreasing. However, there are still many differences and deficiencies as China-U.S. relations move forward.

Despite their positive aspects, globalization, multi-polarization and technological advancement come with pronounced negatives that pose challenges to the post-Cold War world order. The only way forward is for the West to cooperate with China and engage in active and candid dialogue.

The renewal of high-level Sino-U.S. exchanges along with the approaching American elections has intensified the U.S. debate about an optimal long-term strategy toward China.

Fabricating a strategic architecture by uniting Japan, the Philippines and Australia with the United States will only accelerate the transformation of the region into opposing camps and drag the big powers into a dangerous Thucydides trap.

The United States seeks to widen the technology gap with China as much as possible and thus will create more barriers for Chinese research and development. It may even try to push back some of the technological advancements China has made. China needs to prepare for greater pressure.

The personal tragedies of two great physicists during the Cold War teach that us that creating a tolerant, innovative environment is the way to prosperity and strength.

It’s no hidden secret that U.S.-China relations have been on the rocks in recent memory. Though both sides are willing to go through the motions of performative summits, the reality of policy taking shape on both sides belies the aggression coming from leadership from both countries.

The U.S. and the Philippines held their first 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington, D.C. in seven years, with the aim to strengthen strategic cooperation and mark a new era of partnership. Discussions included the ongoing Taiwan crisis and the Philippines' announcement of opening four additional bases to U.S. troops under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has assured that these bases will not be used for offensive purposes in the event of a Sino-American conflict over Taiwan, despite concerns of dependence and geopolitical provocation.

We live in a world where geopolitical stability relies largely on deterrence. But how can we prove that deterrence works?

Any easing of China-U.S. relations will have twists and turns, and material improvement is unlikely to come soon. But both sides can learn from America’s Cold War standoff with the USSR, when mechanisms were built that avoided war. That process can be followed again.