Commentary: Draw on historical inspirations to advance China-U.S. ties

Members of a delegation of high school students from the U.S. state of Washington pose for a photo in front of the Qianqing Gong, or the Palace of Heavenly Purity, at the Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

History has illustrated time and again that only with a strong sense of responsibility, a rational perception of each other, and the utmost sincerity to enhance relations can U.S.-China ties regain stability and return to a path of healthy development.

BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- When meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in the Peruvian capital of Lima, Chinese President Xi Jinping listed seven experiences and inspirations that should be drawn from the past four years of China-U.S. relations. These insights offer strategic guidance for ensuring a stable, healthy and sustainable bilateral relationship in the future.

At the meeting, Xi enumerated the seven points as to have a correct strategic perception, to match words with actions, to treat each other as equals, not to challenge red lines and paramount principles, to conduct more dialogue and cooperation, to respond to the expectations of the people, and to shoulder the responsibilities of major countries.

The China-U.S. relationship is one of the most consequential bilateral relations, critical to the world's peaceful development and humanity's future. Over the past four years, although China-U.S. relations have experienced ups and downs, the two countries have also engaged in dialogue and cooperation, with their relationship stable on the whole under the stewardship of the two presidents.

History has illustrated time and again that only with a strong sense of responsibility, a rational perception of each other, and the utmost sincerity to enhance relations can U.S.-China ties regain stability and return to a path of healthy development.

As the world's largest developing and developed economies, China and the United States share immense potential for cooperation in trade, energy, science and technology, education, and people-to-people exchanges. Both play a significant role in such global endeavors as fostering economic recovery, fighting climate change and terrorism, preventing nuclear proliferation, and tackling regional and international crises.

Together, the two countries have made great achievements for the good of the world, including combating terrorism, addressing financial crises, fighting Ebola, and pushing for the Paris Agreement on climate change. An unfailing truth in China-U.S. interactions is that both countries stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.

A staff member shows smart logistics solutions at the booth of UPS during the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) in east China's Shanghai, Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Chen Haoming/Xinhua)

Through the past 45 years, China-U.S. relations have overcome various difficulties and continued to advance. The breadth of their cooperation, the depth of entwined interests, and the impact of the relationship have reached unprecedented levels.

The historical trajectory should enlighten the future development of the relationship between the two countries. When they treat each other as partners and seek common ground while shelving differences, their relationship will make considerable progress. However, if they see each other as rivals and engage in vicious competition, their relationship will suffer disruptions and even setbacks.

Today, humanity is faced with unprecedented challenges in a turbulent world suffering from frequent conflicts. Major-country competition should not be the underlying logic of the times; only solidarity and cooperation can help humanity overcome current difficulties.

The U.S. side should also realize that neither decoupling nor disrupting supply chains is the solution, while common development can only be achieved through mutually beneficial cooperation. Moreover, a major country should not pursue a "small yard, high fences" strategy; only openness and sharing can advance humanity's well-being.

During his meeting with Biden, Xi called for joint efforts to explore the right way for two major countries to realize long-term, peaceful coexistence on this planet, and inject more certainty and positive energy into the world.

The planet is big enough to accommodate the common development and respective prosperity of the world's two largest economies.

As the United States prepares for a new administration, China and the broader world hope that the U.S. side will join China in embracing mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, ensuring a seamless transition in their relations, and finding a right way for the two countries to co-exist for the shared benefits of their people and the wider global community in the new era.