Parmeshwar Devkota

Majority of people opine that natural calamities like earthquake, flood and landslide pose a serious threat to mankind. Another group of people argue that various fatal diseases and pandemic cause obstacles to human development. Yet, another small group of people believes that internal conflicts, tensions between the nations and wars are the key challenges of the humanity.
It is because about 40 million people were killed in just four years in World War I while the number of deaths doubled in World War II. Though Nepal was not directly involved in both wars, Gorkhali fighters working in the British army had to sacrifice their precious lives in the devastating wars.

So, people like me fear wars the most. On the day when the United States of America sent its huge war machines to the South China Sea, I started to panic whether another major war would break out in the region. Those having special expertise on the subject began writing articles on the possibility of war, which only intensified my apprehension.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson of the People’s Republic of China denounced the US move in strong terms. As Chinese President Xi Jinping in his recent public speech, used harsh words, it could be surmised that another war would be fought sooner or later.

Amid confusions, it was dramatically announced that two leaders—US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi -- would be holding a virtual meeting. As the zoom meeting began, Xi welcomed Biden by addressing the latter as “Old friend’. Biden, on the other hand, reiterated his pledge to support the “One-China” policy.
They did not use any spiteful language. Instead, they communicated in a friendly way. It is a common knowledge that leaders who have tense relationships hold brief conversations. But, in their case, it was just the opposite. They held conservation that lasted more than three years with all smile on their faces.

At the start of the meeting, Biden told Xi, “As I’ve said before, it seems to me our responsibility as leaders of China and the United States is to ensure that the competition between our countries does not veer into conflict, whether intended or unintended.’’ He added, “Just simple, straightforward competition.”
‘You’re a major world leader, and so is the United States,” Xi responded to Biden. It should be noted that Biden had called China the ‘most serious competitor’ to the US, in his first foreign policy speech, rather than otherwise.

If there were no change in the ‘One China’ policy, the informal relations should just facilitate their business purpose.
Biden indicated tensions between the US and China are based on business grounds instead of military level. It will lead the world on the path of peaceful competition for development. So, the trepidation that the Third World War will be fought over the South China Sea or Taiwan issue turned out to be baseless.