Xi-Trump summit offers new framework for global stability

September 29, 2026 (MLN): The recent summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump has raised expectations for greater global stability by adding new substance to efforts to build a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability, according to a public policy scholar.

Gu Qingyang, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said the two leaders' agreement to build a relationship based on respect, fairness and reciprocity could provide a framework for managing differences between the world's two largest economies.

In an interview with Xinhua, Gu Qingyang said the approach signals a willingness by China and the United States to address differences while respecting each other's development paths and core interests.

He said the framework also allows reasonable room for the development of both countries while taking into account their shared interests and those of the wider international community.

According to Gu Qingyang, the commitment to treat each other as equal partners and pursue mutual benefit could offer an alternative to zero-sum competition in an increasingly complex international environment.

He described the approach as a potential source of stability for a world facing multiple challenges, arguing that countries should address differences and manage disputes through consultation on an equal footing regardless of their size or strength.

Long-term engagement remains key

Gu Qingyang said President Xi's description of a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability as neither an expedient measure nor something that could be achieved overnight reflects China's emphasis on a long-term approach to bilateral relations.

He said building such a relationship would require sustained engagement across different sectors, fields and levels in both countries.

The scholar also pointed to Xi's invitation for 100,000 young Americans to visit China over the next five years for exchange and study programmes as an example of efforts aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties.

Gu Qingyang said lasting engagement between the two countries would need to extend across generations, suggesting that exchanges between younger people could form part of a longer-term effort to support stable bilateral relations.

The comments come after the Xi-Trump summit, where the two sides outlined a vision for managing differences while pursuing areas of mutual interest.

The scholar's assessment suggests that the impact of the summit could extend beyond bilateral relations if the principles of consultation, reciprocity and strategic stability contribute to broader efforts to manage international disputes.

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