Same Words, Different Meaning: The New U.S.-China Paradigm

Following the Trump–Xi meeting in mid-May, officials in both the United States and China started describing bilateral ties as "a constructive relationship of strategic stability." However, both countries have different views of what this term means and its implications for U.S.-China relations. While the United States does not see a large difference between "strategic stability" and its other recent approaches to China, China views this new term as an acknowledgement of its superpower status on the global stage. Is the U.S.-China relationship entering a new phase or is this simply a new rhetorical framing?  Victor Shih joined us on July 9, 2026 to discuss the way the United States and China view their relationship with each other after the Trump-Xi meeting in May.  Read the speaker's bio on our website.