Sino-US conflict and the proxy war

The Xi Jinping-Biden summit in San Fracisco in November 2023 somewhat relieved the world worry of a top-power armed clash. It is generally believed that this second Sino-US summit in a year signaled that Xi and Biden sought to stabilize the bilateral relations, not uncontrollable confrontation. Since the balloon incident in May 2023, the free fall of the relationship had accelerated to generate grave worry that a breakdown of the ties would be inevitable. Amid the lingering of the Ukraine war and worsening bloc confrontation between the Western camp and its opponents, e.g., the top military powers like China and Russia, the emerging Cold War II has increasingly acquired strong elements of hot conflict. The Xi-Biden summit has at least led observers to conclude that neither of them is ready for a showdown, not for now