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From Zero-Sum Competition to Constructive Strategic Stability: Rethinking U.S.-China Relations

The Insider
Michael Swaine and Kerry Anderson
October 27, 2026

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Episode Notes:

In September, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to build “a constructive relationship of strategic stability.” But what does that mean, and what would Beijing and Washington need to do to achieve it? Kerry talks with Michael D. Swaine, who recently argued that the United States should move away from a zero-sum approach to competition with China. They discuss why stability would better serve U.S. interests and what practical steps both countries could take to get there.

Image: The White House via Wikimedia Commons