China-U.S. relations concern not only the well-being of both peoples but also world peace and stability, experts and officials from across the world have said.
In the lead-up to a scheduled meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of this year's Group of 20 (G20) summit in Argentina, an international chorus has been growing louder for the two countries to forge a path toward win-win cooperation, something that would not only serve the interests of both countries but the entire world.
RIGHT CHOICE
China and the United States share vast potential for cooperation as the world's two largest economies.
The development of China-U.S. ties since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 39 years ago perfectly illustrates that their relationship has always been a win-win cooperation in nature.
The United States and China share common global interests such as counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, and prevention of epidemics, said Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"Engagement and balancing should be the only option for U.S. China policy," Paal said.
Michael Swaine, senior associate in Asia Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that the 21st century has witnessed the emergence of all these transnational issues that came to light, such as climate change, food issues and international crime.
"All these issues emerge now that demanded levels of cooperation between the great powers and particularly between the U.S. and China, such that you needed that cooperation in order to address these problems. You couldn't really address them otherwise," Swaine said.
Zhao Suisheng, a professor with the University of Denver, said China-U.S. relations have seen ups and downs and have gone through bouts of immense cooperation and competition since they established diplomatic ties.
However, as the world's largest economies, they are closely tied to one another, Zhao said, adding that strengthening cooperation and promoting a healthy development of bilateral ties serve the fundamental interests of both sides.
CANDID DIALOGUE
China and the United States have established four high-level dialogue mechanisms covering the areas of diplomacy and security, economic issues, social and people-to-people exchanges, as well as law enforcement and cyber security.
These candid and constructive dialogues will help diminish divergencies and strengthen cooperation, a benefit for the entire international community, experts stress.
Given the four decades of diplomatic interactions between the United States and China, the rise and fall of the bilateral ties are not unprecedented, Paal said. "I don't see the current relations are that difficult as some claimed."
Senior officials of the two countries just co-chaired the second China-U.S. diplomatic and security dialogue in Washington earlier this month, and there are plenty of channels and dialogue for Beijing and Washington to communicate and coordinate bilaterally, he said.
"The Cold War-designed containment and confrontational strategy do not serve long-term interests of the United States, and it would not get the support of any other countries," Paal added.
David Skorton, secretary and chief of the Smithsonian Institution based in Washington, said he holds a positive and optimistic point of view about the two nations' cultural and people-to-people communications in the future.
"We don't set policy, nor do our colleagues who are scientists or historians or artists, but we can work together about the issues that we can share ... to try to find a way to understand each other better and in that way the civil societies can come together," Skorton added.
Alicia Barcena, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), said as the world's largest economies, China-U.S. relations have a huge multilateral impact.
"We must not leave China and the United States alone," Barcena said, adding that "the international community should accompany" the dialogue between the two countries to properly settle problems.
TOP-LEVEL MEETING
The upcoming meeting between Chinese and U.S. heads of state at the G20 summit has drawn wide attention. All relevant sides expect the head-of-state diplomacy will continue to strategically guide the development of China-U.S. relations.
"We know that the initiative to have the phone conversation was from Trump, and it further demonstrated Trump's consistent willingness of maintaining a good personal relationship with President Xi," Paal said.
Ronaldo Costa Filho, undersecretary general for economic and financial affairs of Brazil's Foreign Ministry who also coordinates G20 affairs, said China-U.S. relations are essential to the healthy development of the global economy.
Costa said he hoped that the two countries' leaders will have a constructive dialogue during the G20 summit. "We do hope the two countries' leaders will build bridges for further communication."
"The world is at a bit of crossroads in terms of continuing with globalization, putting right the mistakes or moving towards a more protectionist approach," said Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club, expressing hope that China and the United States will settle their problems and prevent future conflict.
