"Thucydides Trap"—A Warning Or Reality For Sino-US Relations?

In 2010,China became the world's second largest economy after the United States.The rise of China's comprehensive strength has caused the United States to worry about the "China threat." At this time,Ellison proposed that the concept of "Thucydides trap" used to describe the future destiny of Sino-US relations.When this concept was born,it caused a great uproar in the political circles.With the widespread use of the "Thucydides trap",the responses to the "Thucydides trap" are not the same,and there are also doubt and denial of this concept in the voice of approval.With the widespread use of the "Thucydides trap",the response to the "Thucydides trap" is not the same.There are also doubts and denials about this concept in addition to the voice of approval.There is undoubtedly a multifaceted competitive relationship between China and the United States.There are still doubts about the values and strategies.As Trump took office,the United States also attacks China on economic,trade and security issues.Its strategy toward china has turned tough.However,China and the United States are not necessarily repeating the mistakes between Athens and Sparta.This is because: First,in the Peloponnesian War,coalition politics was one of the important reasons for the outbreak of the war.Athens and Sparta formed their own Delos and Peloponnes alliance with.However,compared with the situation during the Peloponnesian War,the status quo of Sino-US development have undergone major changes: the Chinese side has no longer implemented the alliance policy.Moreover,under the guidance of historical influence and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence,China's relations with other countries have not seen the relationship between the big powers and the protected countries and affiliated countries in Western history,thus the possibility of direct and indirect warfare caused by Sino-US military alliances has been greatly reduced.Second,the contemporary and complex international environment is constantly demanding extensive and in-depth cooperation between China and the United States on nuclear weapons issues,terrorism,and global climate issues.This shows that the broad space for global governance and cooperation indicates the future development prospect of China and the United States.It does not necessarily slip to the "Thucydides trap." In addition,the huge gap between China and the United States in terms of comprehensive strengths such as economy and military also reflect the inevitability and small probability of the two sides falling into the trap of Thucydides.In addition,the historical evolution of Sino-US relations also shows that the relationship between the two countries presents a dynamic ups and downs.The momentary tension in Sino-US relations does not mean that the "Thucydides trap" ending is the inevitable trend of the development of China and the United States.Therefore Ellison just borrowed the past "Thucydides trap" to allude to the present.It is more of a warning,not an inevitable reality.