Sino-US relations are complicated and face daunting challenges. Despite worries that the bilateral relationship might become more confrontational, there is significant interest in China, the United States and many other countries in avoiding a new cold war. There are many things that need to be done to avoid a further deterioration in Sino-US relations . One particular issue is for policy elites in both countries to reduce their mutual misperceptions and misunderstanding. It will not be easy. However, it might be possible if the two sides continue to engage in dialogue and exchange views in a candid manner. To examine misperceptions in Sino-US relations, we can look at one particular example. American policymakers have said several times that the US is prepared to deal with China “from a position of strength ”. This statement has generated furious reactions from China. During the March summit in Alaska between senior officials of the two countries, State Councillor Yang Jiechi responded to this by saying “the United States does not have the qualification to say that it wants to speak to China from a position of strength. The US side was not even qualified to say such things even 20 years or 30 years back because this is not the way to deal with the Chinese people.” The final part of that last sentence was a soft way of translating zhongguo ren bu chi zheyitao – what Yang actually said in Mandarin. The response clearly suggests anger and indignation in response to this particular phrase. Yang’s response subsequently won popular support in China. The sentence zhongguo ren bu chi zheyitao circulated on Chinese social media and was used by various merchandise makers on T-shirts, cups and so on. It appears that the official view in China is that the phrase “from a position of strength” indicates Washington is prepared to use its power to confront and contain China, and that it is an unequivocal American declaration of using power politics to strike down China. A question we need to ask is, what do Americans really mean when they use the phrase? Might there be some misperception in Beijing’s understanding of such rhetoric? A careful examination of how US policy elites have used the phrase suggests the interpretation from China captures only parts of the American policy context, scope and intention. There is some misperception here. First, the phrase “from a position of strength” emerged during the Trump administration, although it was not used as frequently as it is now. It could be that the phrase had more Machiavellian connotations at that time. For instance, the US 2018 National Defence Strategy report stated: “Reinforcing America’s traditional tools of diplomacy, the Department provides military options to ensure the President and our diplomats negotiate from a position of strength.” Second, under the Biden administration, we need to understand the phrase in a much wider context. When the Americans used it, part of their intention was evidently to identify and understand their own weaknesses and rectify foreign policy mistakes that took place during the Trump era. During a February interview with National Public Radio, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US would have to approach China from a position of strength, not weakness, whether it is in competition or cooperation with China. He added that US strength comes from a few sources, including working with US allies and partners – unlike the Trump era – taking up international responsibilities, standing up for values and “investing in our own people and in our own technology so that we can be as competitive as possible”. Third, in relation to the previous point, it appears American policymakers were trying to muster their own confidence and demonstrate global leadership when they used this phrase. Their target is not just China. Washington wants to send a signal to the rest of the world that US democracy is still working and America is not in decline, as many analysts in China and other countries assert. China says ‘East is rising and West declining’, but has it been misunderstood? Biden said in his foreword to the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance: “We must now demonstrate – with a clarity that dispels any doubt – that democracy can still deliver for our people and for people around the world. We must prove that our model isn’t a relic of history … The United States must renew its enduring advantages so that we can meet today’s challenges from a position of strength.” Finally, in addition to competition, the phrase “from a position of strength” is also used in the context of proposing engagement and cooperation with China. This was evident in Blinken’s NPR interview. This view can also be seen in leading policy reports. These include “The Future of US policy toward China”, jointly produced by scholars from the Brookings Institution and Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Centre, which argues that the US should develop compelling alternatives in response to the Belt and Road Initiative and then re-engage China from a position of strength. “Avoiding the climate canard in US-China relation s”, another Brookings report, argues that Washington should coordinate with Beijing from a position of strength on issues that the US cannot solve on its own, such as climate change , Covid-19 and nuclear non-proliferation. So, the phrase “from a position of strength” could be seen in the context of a comprehensive policy, wider policy scope and some balance in the US approach towards China. Similarly, the US may have misperceptions towards China on several issues. This illustrates the urgent need for the two powers to better understand each other. They must reduce misperceptions and mistrust that, in the era of evolving strategic rivalry, could bring about unnecessary complications for Sino-US relations. Li Mingjiang is an associate professor and provost chair in international relations at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore