Editor's note: Hannan Hussain is a foreign affairs commentator, author and assistant research associate at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

During her high-stakes visit to China, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held a series of meetings with Chinese leaders, including constructive talks with Premier Li Qiang in Beijing. Yellen expressed Washington's willingness to avoid decoupling from the world's second-largest economy and echoed China's expectations for healthy ties at a time when sustained economic cooperation is critical to world peace. "China's development is an opportunity rather than a challenge for the United States, and a gain rather than a risk," Premier Li said in the meeting.

Continuation in pragmatic and in-depth exchanges fares well for a relationship that is capable of managing legitimate economic and trade concerns while creating favorable conditions to restore bilateral trust. A high-level consensus to prevent economic ties from weakening can incentivize trust building.

Premier Li made an important observation on the value that Beijing puts on opposing "hegemony and bullying" in its pursuit of peace. It shows China's consistent support for increased interactions with senior U.S. leaders. It also reflects in Beijing's view that a climate of escalation will not lift relations from their lowest point in decades. Friday's exchange is hoped to provide an opening for Washington to eliminate key irritants to fruitful cooperation, such as a range of U.S. sanctions and export restrictions on China.

It is a fact that the economic interests of Washington and Beijing are inextricably linked. Both U.S. and China have a shared responsibility to advance global growth amid recession risks. Moreover, China's resilient market and consistent opening-up indicate significant room for expanding two-way trade that grew to $690 billion in 2022, a rise of 275 times since 1979.

For these reasons, Yellen's pledge to depart from zero-sum decoupling is a positive step forward and aligns with China's view that pragmatic cooperation is the realistic demand and right choice for both countries. However, the onus falls on Washington to help maintain a positive trajectory in its high-level communication with China. It is critical to isolate politics from meaningful economic cooperation.

It is also a significant sign for both sides to guide relations in light of the understanding reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden in Bali last year. It signaled support for dialogue and coordination on macroeconomic policies, economic ties and trade while underscoring the importance of a "safety net" for China-U.S. relations.

To that end, Yellen's exchange increases the potential for more constructive efforts to manage macroeconomic stability. First, there is a greater desire to prevent so-called U.S. national security concerns from harming economic ties with China, indicating fertile ground to cooperate in the interests of shared economic goals. Second, Premier Li communicated China's principled stance against "politicizing economic cooperation" and "overstretching the concept of security" to ensure that relations can undergo a smooth transition towards stability.

From a diplomatic viewpoint, plenty of bilateral symbolism also accompanied the exchange. For instance, Premier Li alluded to a rainbow Yellen witnessed upon arriving in Beijing, suggesting that U.S.-China ties could witness more after a round of "wind and rain."

Ultimately, the Li-Yellen exchange provides positive insights to compartmentalize differences and give long-due recognition to U.S.-China economic cooperation. By steering the relationship away from so-called "security" concerns, Washington can succeed in delivering what Li described as a "rational and pragmatic" attitude towards China.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on Twitter to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)