One week before the high-level diplomatic meetings between China and the U.S., top Chinese think tanks and political advisors are calling for managing differences and finding common ground.

Xu Bu, president of the China Institute of International Studies, a think tank under the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said history showed that whenever conflicts take place, harm is done to all parties involved.

"It's our experience over the past decades that when we work together, it's good for everyone, when we are against each other, it harms both sides."

The point was made at a meeting to take stock of China's foreign affairs in 2020. The book titled "International Situation and China's Foreign Affairs 2020/2021" was also released on the event, where relations between China and U.S. took center stage.

Jia Qingguo, dean of Peking University's School of International Studies, said he considered the past year in China-U.S. relations the lowest point in years and a regrettable situation.

"We've seen China-U.S. relations spiraling down nonstop in the past year. To be honest, it's simply sad for us in the field to witness it," Jia said.

Upcoming top diplomats' meeting an encouraging sign

Few expect U.S. President Joe Biden's China policy to show a U-turn from the previous administration as flashpoints from technology to territorial issues remain. But experts say the upcoming high-level meeting between top diplomats is still encouraging.

Chen Dongxiao, president of the Shanghai Institutes of International Studies, said it's a step forward from an incommunicado 2020. "The past year saw no effective communications at all between China and the U.S., therefore nothing got resolved. Moreover, misunderstanding results from detachment," Chen told CGTN.

"With top diplomats finally meeting, it's definitely a step forward. Hearing out each other's concerns could be considered a success at this point," Chen said.

But Chen cautioned that U.S. diplomats have a set agenda shown by their scheduled meetings with Japan, South Korea, and India ahead of meetings with Chinese diplomats.

"The U.S. would be making their stance clear, so should China," he said.