China-US co-op key for facing global megatrends: report

China and the United States can and must broaden cooperation and build a new type of major country relationship, according to a joint report released on Tuesday in Washington by US and Chinese think tanks.

China-US cooperation on a wide range of mega-issues is essential for the two nations and the rest of the world to conform to the unfolding megatrends and emerging global challenges, the report noted.

"China-US Cooperation: Key to the Global Future", a joint report developed by a China-US working group organized by the Atlantic Council and China Institute of International Studies, focuses on long-term global trends and their implications for the China-US relationship and global future.

The report found that the global future, which is "increasingly interconnected and extraordinarily turbulent", will face a sharply rising demand for food, water and energy, as well as a climate crisis, a growing global middle class and an unprecedented technological revolution.

"When China and the United States cooperate to meet looming challenges, both countries benefit. When they fail to cooperate and pursue narrow interests or win-lose or zero-sum outcomes, both countries lose," the report concluded following depiction of different scenarios and outcomes.

The working group also issued a call to action to build on the vision laid out by Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama during their meeting in June in Sunnylands, California, and supported the idea of building a "new type of great power relationship" by working together to address global challenges that "are beyond the capacity of any nation to solve alone."

Among a series of recommendations for policymakers in both countries, the working group in particular called for the establishment of a US-China joint "vision group" composed of senior nongovernment and former government leaders to develop recommendations for both nations to cooperate bilaterally and join other nations to tackle critical global challenges.

"I believe strongly there is a great urgency to move this relationship to the next level," said Tung Chee Hwa, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the report launch.

Tung, also founding chairman of China-US Exchange Foundation which supported the report, noted that the two countries are stakeholders that share a lot of common concerns.

"It is important that the misunderstanding and mistrust be addressed, differences be managed and contained, and under no circumstances should they affect the overall US-China relationship," he said.

Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the United States, also made remarks at the report launch, saying that more needs to be done though the two countries are already moving forward to establish a new model of relationship.

"The ultimate goal of building such a relationship is to achieve win-win results, that will not only benefit the Chinese and American people, but also people all over the world," he said.