China: There is no ‘thucydides trap’

American Thinker ^ | 15 May, 2026 | Noel S. Williams

[MtnClimber]

Those Chinese are full of themselves. If they are so special, why not just stay over there, and stop sending their people over here to have babies, steal, and spy?

Smart people can suffer delusions, and it appears that Chinese Communist President Xi Jinping is delusional, if not so smart after all. Full of hubris, he once asserted Chinese intentions to become the dominant world power. Now he suggests their strategic relationship with the U.S. will be one of cooperation and “measured competition.” Competition? Measured? What a joke. All they do is steal our intellectual property.

Revealing his supercilious delusions, Xi invoked the specter of the “Thucydides Trap,” wherein the rise of a new sovereign “power” creates tensions with an established ruling power, often leading to conflict between the two. What a bunch of Chinese chicanery -- by some important measures, China is a fading, and failing, nation. Perhaps, for domestic distraction purposes, that will entice Xi to militarily strike out against Taiwan; if anything, that may reflect weakness rather than strength.

Indeed, the following measures are main contributors of a nation’s power. First consider China, then the U.S.

China:

- Economic scale: China’s population is shrinking. They are experiencing high debt and a weak property sector. They are floundering in a significant economic slowdown.

- Geopolitical influence: China’s is waning, especially in the Middle East.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Society
KEYWORDS: china; thucydides

[Williams]

I believe Trump befriends these world leaders, at least on the surface, Because he believes that’s the best tactic and the best personal diplomacy.

However, it leads a lot of people here too discuss China’s if they were really a reasonable generally moral group of leaders.

These guys are thugs who regularly commit mass murder among their own people. Their greatest fear is being overthrown by the people they are oppressing. At the same time they have visions of taking over the world.

I don’t think there is any doubt that they were threatening Trump with an invasion of Taiwan or a wider War if he interferes. Also looks like we pushed back.

They are dangerous but are also acting from weakness. The American Military and the preparations of our allies and the Pacific are escalating. As much as Trump wants to deal with iran, he’s also stepping on China’s stream of oil from Iran and Venezuela.

It’s sad to see public comments by ignoramuses on social media who do not understand what Trump is all about and what he’s up to.

[KingLudd]

“A declining nation can strike out too.”

I’ve been thinking about that too. About half of the people in the US side with evil and/or our enemies. When things get bad enough here, we’ll have to first deal with the enemy within, then the rest of our enemies. Swamp/elites probably let us keep our guns so we can duke it out amongst ourselves saving them all that dirty work. A junta would be bad for everyone.

[Vaduz]

And thankful for Biden & Co. open borders.

[Merrick]

And, you know what, I’ll add this.

Sparta tried to trigger Athens into an open land war, which Athens had no hope of winning, by burning all the crops in the rural areas around Athens. Gee, does that sound like China buying up all of our farmland? And Athens repeatedly refused to respond. Eventually Athens was forced into a purely defensive war when Sparta sieged the city.

How is Xi’s analogy even remotely related to our current relationship with China?

It’s not.

[Carry_Okie]

We would have a declining population but for immigration that threatens to kill the culture of America. Until we fix our education system, we are in deep pucky.

[misterdarcey]

I’m still not sure why Xi brought this up, since the Thucydides trap scenario would work against China - a rising power that gets too big for its britches, and stumbles into war.

[Robert DeLong]

Iran is not a peoxy war. Iran has attacked U.S. interests since they took control 47 years ago, and has also desired to obtain nuclear weapons. This is an overdue necessity, and it has become a harder task now that Iran has been allowed to buld up its munitions with no pushback. It has been a very successul operation, and now the real finacial vice is being applied to thw most terroristic regime in modern history.

[Brian Griffin]

“real finacial vice”

financial vise?

“Iran’s oil production in 2024 was about 4.63 million b/d”

“Iran’s oil consumption in 2024 was calculated to be 1,953,251 barrels per day b/d”

Copilot [Worldometer]

The Iranian government is still getting oil revenue from nearly half its normal oil production. If Iran charges market prices for oil domestically, Iran’s wholesale oil revenue would be down about 30%. Iran’s taxes and profits on domestic retail fuel sales would be unchanged or increased.

The idea that Iran will be forced to deal because its oil industry will suffer greatly from a blockade is absurd.

[Brian Griffin]

“have babies”

8 U.S. Code § 1401...:
“The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:
(a) a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof;”

[Robert DeLong]

Yes, thank you, vise not vice. I had it correct in my brain, but the fingers defied me. 😁🤙

[GingisK]

All they do is steal our intellectual property.

This is not true. They are innovating new products while we merely consume them.

[PIF]

According to one Chinese speaker, Xi used swear words when describing the US position on Taiwan. Naturally, they were translated into something nice for general US consumption.

[chickenlips]

What other country has entire “Ghost Cities?”
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We have zombie cities, does that count?