President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States next month is expected to be a milestone in building a new type of relationship between major countries, said Su Ge, president of the China Institute of International Studies.
Xi, at the invitation of US President Barack Obama, will make his first state visit to the US amid profound changes in the international situation, Sino-American relations and China's domestic reforms.
Su, in a speech at the Chinese Consulate General in New York on Thursday, said that the meeting of the two leaders will be a key juncture because the consensus that emerges on the future direction of peace, development and cooperation, along with ways of managing differences, will have far-reaching importance for bilateral relations, the Pacific region and the world.
Su said the US rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific region is a major shift of emphasis in American international strategy from anti-terrorism to dealing with challenges posed by emerging powers.
He said US-China relations have become more complicated.
"Third party factors" (other countries in the South China Sea region) have interfered with China-US relations or influenced American foreign policy, he said.
Moreover, with the US presidential election next year, candidates have regularly discussed China, particularly in terms of the competition for jobs. American concerns also include the South China Sea, cybersecurity, China's domestic legal reform and "human rights".
Some Americans fear China's Belt and Road Initiative and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are designed to challenge the American-led international order, Su said.
Su stressed that China and the US should increase strategic trust and avoid miscalculation. The relationship between the top two economies in the world, which are also members of the UN Security Council, is vital for world affairs.
Su noted that the proposal for a new type of relationship between China and the US is benign and good-willed: with "no confrontation" as the bottom line; "mutual respect" as the basis; and "win-win" as the objective.
Su also called for more coordination in global governance. The Belt and Road Initiative and AIIB are open and inclusive, he said. Both sides may discuss ways and means regarding maritime cooperation, cybersecurity and other issues of concern, including climate change and disease control.
"With regards to the new normal of bilateral relations, both sides probably need proper adaptation to it," said Su. "Both need to have more understanding and tolerance, and give one another more room for cooperation. The zero-sum game mindset is not conducive to each other's interests."
