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Xi made a historical reference to give Trump a warning. What did it mean?
Key takeaways
- Xi Jinping referred to an ancient Greek war during his meeting with Donald Trump.
- Here's what the reference means and what it tells us about relations between the US and China today.
- The theory, developed by American political scientist Graham Allison, posits that when a rising power threatens an established power, war between the two becomes more likely.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Xi Jinping referred to an ancient Greek war during his meeting with Donald Trump. (Reuters: Maxim Shemetov/pool)
Link copied Share Share article The US and China have been rivals for almost 80 years, but when the countries' leaders met in Beijing on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping made reference to a far more ancient feud.
In his opening remarks ahead of a closed-door meeting with US President Donald Trump, Mr Xi asked whether the US and China could "transcend the Thucydides Trap", an obscure reference to a war between two ancient Greek city-states.
Article preview — originally published by ABC Australia. Full story at the source.
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