In the past decades, Asia has benefited enormously from open trade, investment and multilateral cooperation, and became a leading global trade hub. But recent economic and strategic developments have fueled uncertainty in the region.

Yuan Peng, president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said he is very optimistic about the latest round of China-U.S. trade talks. He noticed that the 13th round of negotiations is quite different compared with the previous talks. 

Firstly, Trump's team repeatedly said that they sought agreement with China and announced the reaching of a "substantial phase-one deal". Secondly, the upcoming APEC summit will provide opportunities for both sides. Peng mentioned that President Donald Trump is set to join APEC in Chile this year, and the reason for Trump's attendance lies in the fact that Trump will sign some agreements with China.

"This time I think we are coming to end in the phase one," added Peng. "However, Donald Trump and his team are so unpredictable."

Regarding the future of China-U.S. relations, Yuan Peng emphasized that both sides should pay more attention to the common ground between China and the U.S., instead of confrontation or competition. As the two major powers, cooperation in reform and building up the new world order in this century should be given a high priority.

"China-U.S. relations should not be shadowed just by the current trade war temporarily, because U.S. and China are two major powers who have lots of common interests," he stated. "We welcome the United States play some constructive role as Asian Pacific power. We never deny its status."

Dr. Bates Gill, professor of Asia-Pacific Security Studies at Macquarie University, witnessed that there is a dominant narrative emerging in Washington, which is taking a harder stance on the relationship with China.

On the one hand, he pointed out that it is not possible for two countries to decouple or end the relationship economically and politically. But on the other, he concerned that the two are going to a phase of competition where it is going to be harder for both sides to manage the relationship.

"I don't think decoupling is a very wise or even useful concept," said Gill. "But we will see a narrowing of the engagement."

Though the U.S. government shifts its policy towards China from engagement to strategic competition, Gill viewed competition from a positive perspective that it forces the two sides to rethink and recreate a different relationship, and even drives innovation and progress.

In addition, Gill referred to the situation of U.S. allies as the dual dilemma. For those U.S. allies, a rising China provides both opportunities and challenges to their interests, whereas the uncertainties of Donald Trump, who does not see the value in alliance relationships, have undermined the longstanding trust of those allies.

"Dialogue with Yang Rui" is a prime time daily English talk show on CGTN. The 30-minute show covers a wide range of domestic and international topics, providing a balanced and critical perspective on current affairs and analysis within the framework of cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary comparisons. 

Schedule: Monday-Sunday

Time (GMT): 0330, 1130, 1930

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