by Lyazid BenhamiAs Chinese President Xi Jinping makes his second state visit to the United States, 11 years after his first, China-U.S. relations are entering a new phase. A new expression has appeared in the diplomatic vocabulary: strategic stability. Can it offer a new approach to managing differences between the world's two major countries?Xi's state visit to the United States from Sept. 23 to 25 came as the two countries seek to develop a new framework for their relationship.There remain differences between the two sides, but high-level contacts continue. The notion of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability, deserves to be examined as a possible new way of thinking about relations between major countries.The first characteristic of this approach is that it does not seek to eliminate competition. China and the United States have different interests and each seeks to preserve its economic, technological and strategic influence. The challenge, therefore, is less about eliminating competition than about preventing it from becoming uncontrollable.Some differences between major countries cannot be resolved quickly and must be managed. This requires maintaining channels of communication, including during periods of tension, and distinguishing between areas where compromise is possible and those where positions remain far apart.Dialogue does not necessarily signal convergence of positions. It is first and foremost an instrument for preventing and managing crises. This is the difference between seeking to immediately resolve every disagreement and creating the conditions to live with certain differences.International relations have long been viewed primarily through the lens of the balance of power: defending one's interests, strengthening one's influence and containing that of the other.Strategic stability introduces another dimension: the ability to manage the balance of power constructively. Strength then lies not only in the abili...

NAGOYA, Japan, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chen Benhai scored a hat-trick as China defeated Bangladesh 7-1 in an Asian Games men's hockey classification match on Thursday, setting up a fifth-place playoff against Japan.Zhang Jialiang added two goals for China, which scored in every quarter at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium. Japan beat Thailand 9-1 in the other classification match, with the two winners set to meet on Oct. 3 at the same venue.China took control early, with Zhang opening the scoring from open play in the second minute and Zhao Yulai doubling the lead two minutes later.Chen made it 3-0 in the 24th minute before Bangladesh pulled a goal back in the 30th, leaving China 3-1 ahead at halftime.Penalty corners helped China extend its advantage in the third quarter. Gao Jiesheng scored in the 32nd minute, and Zhang added his second in the 44th to make it 5-1. Chen completed his hat-trick with goals in the 56th and 59th minutes.Chen welcomed the win but felt he still had room to improve despite scoring three times.I'm very happy that the team won and I scored three goals. But honestly, I wasn't at my best today, he said. I still had problems controlling the tempo and distributing the ball consistently, and I missed some chances.Looking ahead to Japan, Chen said China would study its opponent's tactics and work on its own coordination.We'll take it one match at a time and aim to produce a better performance for this tough contest, he said.China finished third in Pool B with three wins and two losses for nine points. Only the top two teams in each pool advance to the semifinals, while the third- and fourth-placed sides enter the classification matches for fifth to eighth place.Although medals are no longer at stake, classification matches also count toward the International Hockey Federation's world rankings. Points are adjusted after each match according to the result, the teams' pre-match rating difference and the competition's weighting.

A new study has identified trace fossils of a large horseshoe crab species dating back more than 240 million years, from the shallow reaches of long-vanished waters in east China. These findings offer valuable clues to ocean life after the most severe extinction event in Earth's history.The fossils