Some scholars have described the relationship between China and the U.S.?as?spinning into a free fall, with efforts?at?dialogue?achieving?few?results. The U.S. has implemented various measures against China.?There are sanctions against Chinese companies, so-called bills that interfere in China’s internal affairs?regarding?Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet, visa cancellations?for Chinese students and?a?clamor to decouple?from?China.?These are all?discouraging, and we don’t know when and how?it?will end.

The upcoming U.S. general election, the rampant novel coronavirus disease pandemic and a global recession, along with mounting populism and political radicalism and?extremism in the U.S., are pushing China-U.S. relations to their worst point in decades,?maybe?even falling?into the so-called “Thucydides trap,” the?notion?that a rivalry between an established power and a rising power often leads to war.

Constructive and institutional approaches are needed to manage differences and respond to possible crises. No one can predict what will happen if the conflicts between China and the U.S., namely the world’s largest developing and developed?countries, spiral out of control.?This?is a real danger?and?may lead to Cold War 2.0 or even a hot war that is disastrous for the?entire?world.

Whether China and the U.S. can keep their relations on the track of peaceful development will ultimately determine the future of our two countries and the world at large. The most critical issue in bilateral relationship is that they should?take measures to prevent hostility toward each other. Our?two countries have the responsibility to uphold world peace.

Besides the adjustments of U.S. geopolitical strategies and a zero-sum-game?theory, another?factor?pushing?China-U.S. relations?toward?deterioration?is the uncertainties?arising from?the U.S.?presidential election, which?somehow?leads?to?candidates calling for?a deteriorating relationship with China so as to win more?votes. China?is?always regarded as a rival during election years,?as contenders?use China as a handy scapegoat for every problem they?face.?Thus the?100 days?or so?in the run-up to the U.S. presidential?election?are?critical.

China and the U.S. should handle their relations?properly. China follows the principle of non-interference in others’?internal affairs. Yet some in the U.S. are eager to drag China into their electoral?politics. And then they?actually turn around and?accuse China of meddling?in?U.S. internal affairs and?attempting to?sway elections.?In reality, no matter who wins the White House?or?what happens?with?China-U.S. relations, the Chinese Government will always prioritize its own development?and?has no intention to meddle?in?U.S. elections.

The ideological differences between the two countries are also?increasingly?becoming a?playing?card for the U.S. to demonize?and call for?decoupling from?China, evidenced by?U.S.?actions in the past several months. Some U.S. politicians?have turned to?attacking the Communist Party of China (CPC)?more,?rather than China,?while playing the blame game?in an?attempt to sever the close ties between the CPC and the Chinese people. This will by no means solve the problems between China and the?U.S., but?only?further damage bilateral ties.

China-U.S. relations should not be driven by ideologies?because this will only?drag?it?into a?dead end. Dialogue between the two sides?is?all the more important. China stands ready to work with the U.S. to advance bilateral relationship based on coordination, cooperation and stability so as to avoid the tragic Thucydides trap. The two countries can at least promote a manageable relationship of competition and cooperation.?As Dr. Henry Kissinger proposed,?the two countries?“should pursue their domestic imperatives, cooperating where possible and adjust their relations to minimize conflict.”

The author is former?president of the China International Publishing Group