Xi Warned US Not to Fall Into ‘Thucydides Trap.’ What’s That Mean?
During a recent summit, Premier Xi Jinping warned the U.S. about the potential for falling into the 'Thucydides Trap.' This concept, introduced by political scientist Graham Allison, suggests that established powers may go to war with rising powers due to fear of losing dominance. The article critiques this notion, arguing that the U.S. is not in decline while China faces significant challenges.
- ▪Xi Jinping referenced the Thucydides Trap during the U.S.-China Summit in Beijing.
- ▪The Thucydides Trap suggests that established powers may attack rising powers out of fear.
- ▪The article argues that the U.S. is not in decline, contrary to the implications of the Thucydides Trap.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Home – China – Xi Warned US Not to Fall Into ‘Thucydides Trap.’ What’s That Mean? opinion Xi Warned US Not to Fall Into ‘Thucydides Trap.’ What’s That Mean? Victor Davis Hanson • May 18, 2026 Print Brendan SMIALOWSKI / POOL / AFP via Getty Images) (function(){var t=document.querySelector(".wp-block-kadence-dynamichtml"),s=document.currentScript.previousElementSibling;if(t&&s){if("prepend"==="before_element")t.parentNode.insertBefore(s,t);else if("prepend"==="after_element")t.parentNode.insertBefore(s,t.nextSibling);else if("prepend"==="prepend"||"prepend"==="inside_first_child")t.insertBefore(s,t.firstChild);else t.appendChild(s);}})(); Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Daily Signal.
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