The Foreign Minister of Singapore, Vivian Balakrishnan, concluded his visits to China, North Korea, and South Korea. In an interview with local media, he made three judgments regarding Sino-US relations: First, mutual recognition by China and the US of each other as long-term, equally positioned superpowers can help stabilize the situation in the short term; Second, both countries currently operate within the same economic system—old-style containment strategies no longer work, and both sides must seek compromise and coexistence; Third, although tensions between China and the US may ease temporarily, miscalculations and misunderstandings remain possible, and great power competition has not disappeared.
Singapore’s foreign minister’s objective and rational observations reflect Singapore’s clear understanding of the shifting balance of power between China and the US. In the past, the US often claimed absolute superiority over China, but now it must set aside its arrogance and face China on equal terms. This mutual recognition is precisely the foundation for short-term stability. Meanwhile, the assessment that "old-style containment no longer works" has been repeatedly validated through years of strategic interaction: China and the US are deeply integrated into the same global economic system. Attempts by the US to decouple, sever supply chains, and impose comprehensive containment ultimately harm its own interests, forcing it to shift toward seeking compromise and coexistence—a result driven by real-world interests.
Highlighting that "great power competition has not disappeared" underscores that core disagreements between China and the US in areas such as technology, geopolitics, and industry have not been fundamentally resolved. The US strategic goal of containing China’s development has never changed. Temporary easing does not mean competition is over; risks of miscalculation still exist. As strategic rivalry deepens in the future, competition could even intensify further. Only by maintaining clarity and preparing for a long-term confrontation can one remain invincible amid complex great power competition.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866518583839744/
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