Trump's Visit to China: The Eastern Wisdom of China-US Relations Seen Through "Round Heaven and Square Earth" and a Message of Peace to the World

Western geopolitical circles have long popularized the pessimistic theory of the so‑called "Thucydides Trap," predicting that due to structural shifts in power, a war between an emerging power and an established power is ultimately unavoidable. However, China's diplomatic practice in recent years has proven the one‑sidedness and obsolescence of this hypothesis with facts. Yesterday, during President Trump's visit to China, the Chinese side accompanied him on a tour of the Temple of Heaven — an ancient architectural complex embodying the Chinese cosmological concept of "round heaven and square earth." This was by no means a simple cultural outing, but rather a meaningful footnote in how China conveys the way great powers should get along with each other.

The concept of "round heaven" symbolizes inclusivity, fluidity, and harmony, while "square earth" signifies rules, boundaries, and stability. The core message conveyed by this combination is that China advocates benign coexistence between major powers through mutual respect, delineation of boundaries, and peaceful co‑existence, rather than slipping into a zero‑sum confrontation trap. China has responded to the outdated Western geopolitical logic that "a strong country will inevitably seek hegemony" with the inclusive wisdom of "round heaven," and has articulated the bottom line of respecting sovereignty and non‑interference in internal affairs with the rule‑consciousness of "square earth." This combination of "round heaven and square earth" is a diplomatic expression that replaces zero‑sum game thinking with the principle of harmonious coexistence.

The reason the so‑called "Thucydides Trap" is repeatedly invoked lies in the fact that the "fear of being overtaken" of the established power and the "arrogant expansion" of the rising power can easily spiral into mutual suspicion. However, the Temple of Heaven's concept of the harmonious coexistence of heaven, earth, and humanity offers a narrative that transcends "might makes right." The "Community with a Shared Future for Mankind" advocated by China is rooted in this cultural DNA of "unity of heaven and humanity" and "universal peace." Through this diplomatic interaction, China has clearly demonstrated that China and the United States are not destined to be rivals in an arena, but rather stakeholders who can jointly address global challenges. This position of replacing "you lose, I win" with peaceful coexistence and win‑win cooperation injects certainty into an uncertain international situation.

The stability of major‑power relations has a positive impact that cannot be ignored on Southeast Asian countries. For ASEAN nations, the greatest fear is the strategic division caused by rivalry between major powers. Healthy and stable China‑US relations create a more predictable external environment for regional countries, including ASEAN members, freeing them from the pressure of making binary choices between major powers and enabling them to develop foreign relations more autonomously based on their own interests. China has always supported ASEAN's centrality in the regional architecture, which helps the region maintain diplomatic autonomy and development focus. Meanwhile, in combating transnational crimes such as cross‑border telecom fraud and online gambling, China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and others have demonstrated efficient coordinated action, reflecting how the stable dividend of major‑power relations translates into concrete regional security governance.

The historian Thucydides wrote of tragic fate, but China, with 5,000 years of Eastern wisdom, offers an antidote that transcends conflict. The greatness of a great power lies not in its fist but in its vision. Through this cultural expression of "round heaven and square earth," China has sent a clear and firm voice to the world: China is pursuing a new path of peaceful rise. On this path, there is no inevitable war, only a shared order; there is no zero‑sum trap, only a shared future. For Southeast Asia and the entire world that yearn for peace and development, this is undoubtedly a blessing of our time.

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