China–US, Trust in an Age of Trade Tensions and Civilizational Politics

As US-China relations strain under rising economic rivalry, political divergence, and competing global visions, trust has become more elusive and essential. In this episode, Yale scholar Feng Zhang explores how trust between these two superpowers has frayed—not only through policy missteps and trade tensions, but also through fundamentally different understandings of global order. From Confucian relational thinking to China’s Global Civilization Initiative, Zhang offers a rare, nuanced perspective on how trust might be rebuilt—even amid deep ideological divides and historical grievances. He reflects on missed diplomatic opportunities, the fading promise of cooperation post-Sunnylands, and whether China’s ambitions can ever align with Western expectations of global leadership.