Pragmatism Could Ease Tensions in US-China Ties, Say Experts at Asia Future Summit
SINGAPORE, Oct 9: The future of US-China relations may remain uneasy but not without hope, experts said at the Asia Future Summit 2025, urging both sides to pursue pragmatism and open communication to prevent conflict and stabilize global markets.
Speaking during a panel titled “What’s Next for the US-China and the World?”, diplomats, academics, and trade experts predicted that while rivalry between Washington and Beijing will persist, practical cooperation in areas such as technology, trade, and crisis management could help steady the relationship.
Temasek’s Ashok Mirpuri, a former Singapore ambassador to the US, said both powers now recognize that “a very significant conflict between them will be terrible for all of us,” adding that global stability depends on keeping communication lines open, especially amid tensions over Taiwan.
Dr. Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, noted that the US is likely to continue its containment strategy against China. However, he argued that Washington may eventually realize “the limits of its China policy” and see the need to cooperate on critical sectors such as rare earths, aviation, and agriculture.
“A more realistic and pragmatic approach by the US would help to stabilise ties,” said Dr Wu, while calling for crisis management and trust-building mechanisms between the two nations.
Wendy Cutler, senior vice-president at the Asia Society Policy Institute and a former US deputy trade representative, echoed the importance of communication, saying, “When those channels are closed, that’s when the world gets the most nervous.”
The panelists were cautious about the prospects of a major breakthrough at the upcoming APEC Summit in South Korea, where US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet for the first time since 2019.
Cutler predicted modest outcomes, possibly agreements on TikTok’s US sale or a temporary tariff truce, but no “real trade deal.”
Dr. Wu, however, was more optimistic, suggesting the Trump–Xi meeting could yield progress, including the possible removal of a 20% US tariff tied to fentanyl-related trade disputes.
“If the two largest world economies can reduce confrontation and move toward win-win cooperation, that’s a positive signal for global markets,” he said.
Mirpuri cautioned that military tensions, particularly around Taiwan, continue to pose “a significant risk of miscalculation.”
The panel also addressed the shifting rules-based global order, with Cutler criticizing China’s new Global Governance Initiative as “a lot of words, not a lot of details,” while Wu countered that Beijing has stepped up its international role, citing increased funding to the World Health Organization after the US withdrawal.
Concluding the session, Mirpuri said that middle powers from Indonesia to Turkey and Brazil will play a more active role in reshaping globalization amid the US-China rivalry.
“We’re seeing a new map of globalisation,” he said. “As the big powers struggle, others are learning to organise themselves around stability and cooperation.”