By Nihar Kulkarni & Dr. Uday Patil
The US and China held a bilateral summit on the 13th and 14th of May 2026 in Beijing. The visit was attended by the presidents of both countries, accompanied by the top business leaders, particularly from the American side. By all outward appearances, it was considered a significant diplomatic moment in the history of US-China relations. Readouts from both governments suggest that they have multiple economic agreements and discussed strategic issues of mutual interest. However, something else happened at this summit that deserves far more attention than the agreements themselves.
As the US delegation departed China, footage circulated in the media showing American officials throwing away all the gifts, electronic devices, and souvenirs they had received from the PRC. The reason, according to media reports, is straightforward: due to the high risk of surveillance and digital espionage through electronic devices, the US delegation had decided not to carry a single item or use their own personal devices during the entire visit.
This scenario tells something else about the visit: on one hand, two heads of state shaking hands, business leaders smiling for cameras, and agreements being signed. And on the other hand, behind all of it, a delegation is so distrustful of its host that it discarded every gift upon leaving.
This detail deserves more analytical attention than any agreement signed in the room. It is not a footnote. It is the story. The media, strategic policy circles, and academic commentators have been flooded with speculation since the talks. Some argued that a G-2 is likely to emerge, a new concert of great powers between Washington and Beijing. Others warn of Cold War 2.0. At this moment, it is genuinely difficult to explain or predict the most likely scenario. But one thing is clear: both parties fundamentally lack confidence in one another. The distrust is deep, structural, and mutual. The image of discarded gifts is not a minor detail; it is a window into the actual state of the relationship.
This is why it is unlikely to see the formation of a G-2 so easily. There will be some economic cooperation between these two great powers because trade is too intertwined, supply chains too enmeshed, and mutual dependence too entrenched for a clean rupture. Hence, both will have to cooperate, but this cooperation will exist alongside innumerable geopolitical and strategic frictions. The summit is evidence of both simultaneously.
What we are witnessing, then, is not Cold War 2.0 in a simple sense. It is the return of Cold War logic, but with different characteristics. The original Cold War had its own architecture: ideological blocs, proxy conflicts, and arms races with clear adversaries. This one is different. Two economies are deeply integrated. Two powers that need each other even as they fundamentally distrust each other. The Cold War is at our doorstep, but it will not look like the previous one.
Though multiple media reports and strategic commentaries suggest that the summit was unsuccessful and could not achieve desired outcomes such as accommodating each other’s strategic interests; however, nearly one month after that, on 16th June 2026, the US government made a decision to restore the US Pacific Command (USPACOM) designation, reverting to the pre-2018 designation. This reverse approach by the US could be seen as a milestone in accommodating China’s strategic interests in the region, as we are aware that China has long opposed the notion of the ‘Indo-Pacific’ and ‘QUAD’. Whether this signals genuine accommodation or tactical repositioning, the structural distrust revealed at the airport shows that the answer is more likely the latter.
This phase will be full of recalibration of foreign policy and national security priorities by great powers, and broader changes in global politics. For the world at large, the priority must be improving economic, strategic, and institutional resilience at the domestic level. States cannot afford to be structurally dependent on either pole in a world where great powers are simultaneously competing and cooperating with each other.
For small states, three principles matter above all. First, respect geography, whether you are closer to the US, China, or any other great power; be pragmatic with your neighbours and respect the realities of your geographic position. Second, cultivate regional multilaterals and people-to-people contact, academic exchanges, cultural ties, and joint development projects, because trust built on the ground will prove more durable than any formal agreement on paper. And third, build resilience at home: structural development, stronger institutions, and more capable national systems, so that in times of crisis, countries can absorb the shock.
The US-China summit of May 2026 will be studied for years. Yet the most revealing part of the meeting was not what was signed in the conference room. It was what was thrown away at the airport. That simple act captured the reality of the relationship more clearly than any joint statement. Behind the smiles and handshakes, distrust remains the defining feature of US-China relations, and that leaves little room for optimism about the future.
Nihar Kulkarni is a PhD researcher in International Relations at the University of Warsaw. He writes on the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific region, great power politics, and India’s foreign and national security policy.
Uday Patil completed his Ph.D. at the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, where he was a Dr. T. M. A. Pai Doctoral Fellow. His doctoral research focused on post-Cold War American policy-making towards China. His research interests include U.S. grand strategy, U.S.–China relations, and great power competition in the Indo-Pacific. Dr. Patil has published in Strategic Analysis (MP-IDSA), STSF, East Asia Forum, and The Hindu.
Nihar Kulkarni is a PhD scholar of international relations at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland. His PhD thesis examines “the evolution of India’s strategic partnership with Japan in the Indo-Pacific region since 2007." His research areas include India’s foreign policy and national security, geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific region, great power politics, strategic partnerships, and alliance frameworks. His work primarily examines evolving strategic and geopolitical dynamics in Asia and the broader international system.
Więcej informacji na temat: newslettera, polityki prywatności serwisu
czytaj więcej
We would like to inform, that Financial Intelligence has published interview for Balkan Development Support with Patrycja Pendrakowska.
Not only tests and masks: the history of Polish-Vietnamese mutual helpfulness
On the initiative of the Vietnamese community in Poland and Vietnamese graduates of Polish universities, our country received support from Vietnam - a country that deals with the threat posed by Sars-Cov-2 very effectively.
Grażyna Szymańska-MatusiewiczDr. Zeno Leoni is an assistant professor in International Security at the Defence Studies Department of King’s College London. His research focuses on US and Chinese grand strategies, US-China, UK-China relations and Five Eye Alliance. He is the author of articles such as “The End of the “Golden Era”?
Paweł MazurekInterview: Why Does Poland Need ‘17+1’?
Interview with Michał Wójcik - Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Marine Economy and Inland Navigation (DWM MGMiŻŚ). In the Ministry, he is leading the Coordinating Secretariat for Maritime Issues , monitoring the cooperation of Central and Eastern European States with China.
Krzysztof ZalewskiCentral Asia. The winding road to regional integration
The aim of the paper is to present the current stage of integration among the Central Asian republics and to analyze directions and dynamics of this process in the nearest future. This study also attempts to identify factors which can either slow down or strengthen the process of integration as well as its causes and consequences.
Jerzy OlędzkiShort summary of events at the Boym Institute
We want the Boym Institute to become a valuable platform of exchanging views, making valuable acquaintances and, above all, deepening knowledge. Therefore, we undertake the organization of many events: debates, lectures, and conferences.
Environmental problems transcend not only national borders but also historical periods. And yet debates on the necessary measures and timelines are often constrained by considerations of election cycles (or dynastic successions) in any given country.
Dawid JuraszekTakaichi’s Historic Election Win: What’s Next for Japan?
In the Japanese snap election on 8th February 2026, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) achieved a landslide victory, securing 316 out of 465 seats in the lower house of parliament. What does this supermajority mean for Takaichi and Japan?
Jakub WitczakCoronavirus and climate policies: long-term consequences of short-term initiatives
As large parts of the world are gradually becoming habituated to living in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, global attention has turned to restarting the economy. One of the most consequential impacts of these efforts will be that on our climate policies and environmental conditions.
Dawid JuraszekThe North Korean nuclear dismantlement and the management of its nuclear wastes
Evidence suggests that North Korea stores its high-level nuclear waste (HLW) in liquid form in tanks on the same site where it is made, and has not invested in infrastructure to reduce, dentrify, or vitrify this waste. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, one of many aspects of the North Korean nuclear waste problem.
Nicolas LeviNew Female Prime Minister Faces Thailand’s Political Turmoil
Thailand, known for military coups, political downfalls, and dashed democratic hopes, has a new Prime Minister. Paetongtarn Shinawatra is not only the youngest elected Prime Minister in the country's history and the second woman to hold this post, but she is also a member of the Shinawatra political dynasty.
Andżelika SerwatkaPatrycja Pendrakowska made it to the Top 40 under 40 Europe-India leaders list
#EuropeIndia40, an initiative of EICBI, covers the stories of leaders below the age of 40 and their contributions to promoting EU India / UK India relations.
The Boym Institute message to Chinese policymakers and analysts
The EU-China relations require common perspective on Russia’s invasion on Ukraine
Patrycja Pendrakowska as a participant of Women Economic Forum (WEF) in India
The interactive discussion covers recent projects and collaborations which have contributed to a greener economy in India
Kyrgyzstan on the Path to Political Stabilisation
On 10 January, early presidential elections were held in Kyrgyzstan, following the resignation of the incumbent, President Zheenbekov. The atmosphere in which the vote was conducted remained tense. This had been the case since the results of the October elections were announced, in which the opposition grouping failed to win a single parliamentary seat.
Jerzy OlędzkiFrom quantity to quality. Demographic transition in China – interview with Prof. Lauren Johnston
What we observe in China is a population reduction strategy paired with the socio-economic transition. In my view it’s not a crisis, but it is a very challenging transition.
Lauren JohnstonTime for a new normal – enhancing Europe’s military profile in the Indo-Pacific in 2025
2024 witnessed a notable stepping up of Europe’s military profile in the Indo-Pacific. Building on these developments, 2025 should be a year of continuation, bringing even more defence engagement of European states with their Indo-Pacific partners.
Jakub WitczakPeace is a precondition for LiFE. How systemic conflicts endanger developmental goals
The G20 can play a pivotal role in dealing with the mounting global challenges by proposing policy coordination and solutions disincentivising armed conflicts.
Krzysztof ZalewskiWe would like to inform, that Observer Research Foundation has published article of Patrycja Pendrakowska - the Boym Institute Analyst and President of the Board.
Patrycja PendrakowskaOnline Course: “Educational tools for addressing the effects of war”
The Adam Institute for Democracy and Peace is offering “Betzavta” facilitators, middle school and high school educators, social activists, communal activists and those assisting refugees an online seminar to explore educational issues related to wartime.
The Dasgupta Review on Women and the Environmental Crisis
Commissioned in 2019 by the British government and published in February 2021, The Dasgupta Review has been likened to the 2006 Stern Review. Where the latter brought to widespread attention the many failings of the world economy in the face of global warming, the former makes similar points as regards biodiversity – and identifies the unique challenges faced by women.
Dawid JuraszekWhy is stronger foreign investment protection needed in relations with China?
One of the key elements of the protection of foreign investment (and thus the foreign investor) is the mechanism for resolving disputes between the state and the foreign investor. The mechanism itself may take different forms...
Adrian ZwolińskiForeign Direct Investment in Vietnam
Thanks to continuous economic development, Vietnam attracts a record number of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The catalyst for such a strong growth of FDI in Vietnam is not only the ongoing trade war between the US and China, but also new international agreements.
Jakub KrólczykCoronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and emerging contractual claims
With China one of the key players in the global supply chain, supplying major manufacturing companies with commodities, components and final products, the recent emerging outbreak of Coronavirus provides for a number of organizational as well as legal challenges.