On February 21, 1972, then Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong and then U.S. President Richard Nixon met to normalize relations between the two countries. Their meeting was brief, but it set the scene for becoming the most important economic relationship in the world.

Chairman Mao and President Nixon forged a new era with one handshake. Their hour-long discussion was a leap into the unknown after decades of hostility.

Chas Freeman, former assistant secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and interpreter for President Nixon, talked about China-U.S. relations in an interview with CGTN, calling the visit "a huge gamble by both sides, particularly by the President of the United States, who went to the capital of a state that we didn't recognize."

When Nixon made his historic visit to China in 1972, Chas Freeman was his principal American interpreter. Later, he served as director for Chinese Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 1979 through 1981.

Today, with the narrowing gap of strength between the two countries, their bilateral relationship has come to a crossroads.

On Thursday, the U.S. delegation will meet with senior Chinese officials Yang Jiechi, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Wang Yi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister. They are expected to discuss a range of issues, including trade and other issues of disagreement.

The following are excerpts from the interview, which have been edited for clarity and brevity.

CGTN: What does Nixon's visit tell us about where we should go with this relationship?

Freeman: It was an act of extraordinary statesman, a very unusual, the only parallel I can think of to it was that travel to Jerusalem. Nixon's visit changed the [China-U.S.] relationship fundamentally. It showed what imagination, and serious diplomacy, and attention to common interests can do, and that should inspire us. I wish we saw something like that, frankly, in the current American dealing with Iran on the nuclear deal, instead of arguing about who should go first, perhaps one or the other should take the initiative.

CGTN: And just a few days ago, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for frank communication to avoid conflicts. That is in response to the U.S. Secretary of State calling China an adversary. What is your comment on that? 

Freeman: I think, unfortunately, we have fallen into an adversarial relationship then. I would distinguish that from rivalry. Rivalry applies to the competition between two sides than more to excel. I will compete with you by becoming more competitive, more efficient myself. Adversarial relationships involve trying to answer the other party. 

Can you imagine a track race, a runner, and a rivalry tries to run faster than the others? And in an adversarial mode, a runner tries to trip the other runners. I don't think this is healthy if Mr. Blinken [Secretary of State Antony Blinken], in fact, accepted that as the proper relationship in the U.S. and China, I completely disagree with it. I believe Wang Yi's emphasis on dialogue and mutual respect is entirely appropriate. 

CGTN: Just last week, Biden's administration signaled that they would take a hard line on China's trade practices. And they say that this requires an according, comprehensive strategy and a more systematic approach. What kind of approach is it likely to be? 

Freeman: The Biden administration intends to reach out to American friends, our partners who have some of the same complaints about Chinese behavior, and make common cause with them. There are concerns, as I mentioned, about things like intellectual property rights, the subsidies of Chinese industries, and China's efforts to dominate particular markets or technologies. And I think the Biden administration intends to organize broader opposition to this. That's okay. 

The question is whether that opposition will be accompanied by dialogue or maybe negotiation with China to seek common ground, to separate those issues that can be resolved from those that must be deferred. "Qiu Tong Cun Yi" – it's the Chinese phrase, I hope that will be the case.