U.S. and China diverge on how to avert military clashes

Coexistence threatened by Xi's desire to have U.S. accept China as equal

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the need for dialogue at their summit in San Francisco on Nov. 15. Top: Taiwan's army holds drills in the north of the island. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)

HIROYUKI AKITA, Nikkei commentator

December 6, 2023 12:17 JST

TOKYO -- U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the importance of communication at their summit in San Francisco on Nov. 15. At the talks, the two countries agreed to resume military dialogue and start discussions on climate change and regulation of artificial intelligence.

That is good news, but the prospects for defusing tensions between the two countries and promoting deeper cooperation seem grim. The U.S. and China have opposing views on how to navigate bilateral relations; their approaches to preventing military confrontation are like oil and water.