The international landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade, with emerging economies and the intertwining of the interests around the world. The United States will find it difficult to continue on the path that it has pursued since World War II.

Positive trade mechanisms have emerged. China remains committed to developing its relationship with the U.S. The recent tension over Taiwan was controlled. Such things and others are a basis for optimism, not despair.

There are many imperfections and contradictions in the latest NSS. It’s hard enough to promote fairness and justice in the world, so how does one balance a strategy that puts U.S. interests and the well-being of Americans ahead of everyone else?

It’s not clear that China and the United States can sit down for truly in-depth discussions that ensure each side can send restrained messages to let the other party get it right. The consequence of failure could mean war, and we’re nearly out of time.

Recent events in the Taiwan Strait have led to an outpouring of international concern regarding potential war between the United States and China. AI technology advancements, which these two superpowers are leaders in research, resources, and patents, would mean that the world has yet to see the most AI-driven conflict in history.

As an emerging power, China must cultivate a healthy national psyche, seeing not only from its own perspective but also that of others. It should do its own things well, balancing reform, development and stability. And it should work to reestablish positive relations with the U.S..

China stands at a crossroads and will be key in determining whether two camps will take shape. President Xi Jinping’s global development and security initiatives inject confidence into a world industrial scheme that has lost momentum and an international order that has lost stability.

The abusive use of alliances in the region will only hurt. Judging from history and current reality, peace will not flower with a China of 1.4 billion people trapped in stagnation, nor will it help to foster hostile interactions with its neighbors.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his invasion of Ukraine on February 24, he envisaged a quick seizure of Kyiv and a change of government analogous to Soviet interventions in Budapest in 1956 and Prague in 1968. But it wasn’t to be. The war is still raging, and no one knows when or how it will end.

The raging Russia-Ukraine conflict is a stark reminder of the urgency of effective management of weapons of mass destruction. The international community must come together to restart the long-stalled international negotiations over arms control and nuclear disarmament by fully utilizing the existing mechanisms and platforms and generating greater consensus and impetus among all stakeholders. A staunch supporter of the international arms control and nuclear disarmament regime, China adheres to its longstanding nuclear policy of maximum restraint and remains committed to the pursuit of a new path leading to a world of enduring peace and stability.