Trump cancels plans to visit India for Quad Summit later this year. pic.twitter.com/bQsMEmnQ1g
— Globe Eye News (@GlobeEyeNews) August 30, 2025
Unlike the rigid U.S.–Soviet standoff, in today’s world whilst China and the US do engage in strategic rivalry, they also cooperate in numerous areas of mutual benefit. India should have recognized that the rival of my enemy can just as easily become my rival.
New Delhi assumed that U.S. pushback against Beijing automatically granted India leverage. Instead, Beijing and Washington can and do turn on any third party that overplays its hand.
Nature of the USA–China relationship today
Economic entanglement: China is the U.S.’s largest goods trading partner. Supply chains (electronics, pharmaceuticals, green tech) are deeply intertwined. That makes full decoupling painful for both.
Selective rivalry: In tech (AI, semiconductors, quantum, 5G), military balance (Taiwan, South China Sea), and ideology (liberal democracy vs. authoritarian capitalism), it feels zero-sum.
Strategic cooperation: On climate change, rare earths, pandemic response, and even financial stability, both sides recognize that collapse of cooperation would hurt both.
Outcome: It’s more a “competitive interdependence” than pure enmity. Both try to hedge compete in critical sectors but manage spillover.
