Xi Jinping and Joe Biden met at the virtual summit, which lasted approximately (3) hours. The two leaders did not go beyond the official discourse while stating their responsibilities to avoid a global conflict.

The agenda of the summit was involved Taiwan issue, the tension in the field of trade, amassing in the number of nuclear warheads and the fight against the climate crisis. However, it was noted that an evaluation was made over a competitive vision in a more general framework.

While Biden's statement that "our main responsibility is to prevent the competition between our countries from turning into conflict" drew attention, his acceptance that "they are in straight competition" stood out as another important detail.

Biden also reiterated that the United States does not try to change China's system or strengthen an alliance to thwart China, nor does it intend to engage in conflict with China.

Biden's statement that they do not support Taiwan's independence is based on the One-China Policy approach that they adopted in accordance with the Shanghai Communique signed between the two countries in 1972. So this is an official statement.

The US administration, in accordance with its "strategic uncertainty" approach towards Taiwan, is committed to ensuring Taiwan's defence, while maintaining its one-China policy.

Greeting Biden as an old friend, Xi stressed that communication and cooperation between the two powers should be increased.

Xi compared the US and China to two giant ships sailing in the ocean, saying that these giant ships should hold tight to the tiller to avoid the collision.

Xi made a definite statement about Taiwan in particular, saying, "Supporting Taiwan's independence is like playing with fire. And those who play with fire burn.” Xi specifically said that "for Taiwan's independence, if separatist forces provoke us, force our hand and cross the red line, they will have to take decisive measures."

The visions put forward by the two leaders seem to herald a rivalry to be sustained at medium and high intensity. While Biden talks about his vision of an open and free Indo-Pacific, Xi specifically emphasizes the need to "avoid a cold war-like situation".

The characterization of Taiwan as a red line and the warnings that a military solution is on the table, if necessary, show that the possibility of a crisis at this point still exists.

On the other hand, China's efforts to increase the number of nuclear warheads (around 1000) and its testing of hypersonic missile have caused a change in the priorities of the US. But most strikingly of all, China's nuclear stock is still low compared to the US stockpile.

But the idea is spreading that the Hypersonic missile test is causing significant anxiety in the Pentagon and that it could be a Sputnik moment. This issue may particularly affect nuclear deterrence and first-second strike priorities. Put simply, it is a very important issue for the Pentagon.

All in all, it seems that a consensus emerged from the Xi-Biden summit to "continue the competition on the condition of avoiding conflict".

US-China relations have been in the scene of intense competition for a long time. This rivalry model now has a character that turns into the hybrid cold war.

In the upcoming period, competition will intensify and increase uncertainty. The alliance that emerged under the leadership of the US in the Indo-Pacific region and the hegemony area created by it will be decisive.

On the other hand, it is an important issue that the anti-Chinese hegemony area built by the US in the Indo-Pacific region triggers a counter-hegemony area on the lines of China, Russia and Iran.

In a world that has entered a multipolar uncertainty, alliances and hostilities have become fluid. Therefore, even if the historical problems between China and Russia remain, it is seen that they have built an alliance model, albeit uneasy, within the new normal brought about by geopolitical transformations.

This situation takes out the cold war character that appears in the US-China rivalry a little earlier.

US strategic thinkers argue that China is pursuing two long-term goals: to remove the US from the Western Pacific and to unify Asia as a bloc that respects China's economic and foreign policy interests.

In such fluid geopolitics, the question of whether US and China can keep the great power rivalry on a “conflict-free” course is important. The probability of being wrong about the "mutual intentions" of both powers is extremely high. Therefore, we can expect an intense rivalry to continue.

A hybrid cold war has already begun between the two powers and it is very difficult to reverse. US will continue to underline stereotypes such as global power responsibility with such summits. However, it seems that it will continue to take action to protect and fortify its eroding hegemony.