The Guardian · US news · Original story
What is the Thucydides Trap and why did Xi Jinping mention it in his meeting with Donald Trump?
China’s leader raised the ancient Greek historian Thucydides when he met the US president in Beijing
Trump-Xi China summit – follow live
A messy war in the Middle East. Tensions in Taiwan. When the leaders of the world’s two superpowers met in Beijing this week, these were the flashpoints everyone expected they would talk about.
Instead, Chinese leader Xi Jinping threw another, ancient war, into the mix.
Continue reading...
Kate Lamb · Thu, May 14, 2026, 6:56 PM
US news | The Guardian
China’s leader raised the ancient Greek historian Thucydides when he met the US president in Beijing
A messy war in the Middle East. Tensions in Taiwan. When the leaders of the world’s two superpowers met in Beijing this week, these were the flashpoints everyone expected they would talk about.
Instead, Chinese leader Xi Jinping threw another, ancient war, into the mix.
Continue reading...This page shows an excerpt; reporting belongs to the original publisher. Some images or embeds may be omitted compared with the live article.
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