SONG Guoyou，Global Structure, Policy Choices, and the Future of China-U.S. Relations，Global Review，No.1，2024，pp.20-36

ABSTRACT: The trajectory of China-U.S. relations is pivotal for the futureinternational order. Rooted in the perspective of structural realism, there is aviewpoint anticipating an inevitable path toward conflict and war between Chinaand the United States. Through a detailed analysis of the structural starting pointof China and the United States, this study reveals distinctive features in their relations concerning the economy, security, ideology, and global issues, which setit apart from the dynamics of the “new cold war”. In essence, the economicstructure is oriented toward development, the security environment emphasizespeace, ideology embraces inclusivity, and addressing global challenges leanstowards cooperation. Commencing from a specific structural standpoint,prioritizing peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation emerges asthe optimal choice, while the route towards conflict and war is acknowledged asexcessively costly. Nevertheless, the sustained effectiveness of a specificstructure hinges on the policy choices made by both China and the United States.In a broader context, both governments are proactively managing differences andfostering cooperation, thereby averting a descent into a “new cold war”.Regardless of potential shifts in U.S. policy toward China, China is urged toadopt a proactive role in shaping bilateral relations. This involves fortifying thestructural processes that favor development, peace, and diversity, amplifying thepeaceful, mutually beneficial, and stable aspects of the structure, and leveragingits power to curb any inclination towards a “new cold war” against China.

KEYWORDS: structural realism, structural starting point, China-U.S. relations,new cold war