Identifying the stabilizer of China-U.S. relations

Editor's note: Xin Ping is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News Agency, CGTN, Global Times, China Daily, etc. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping is traveling to San Francisco for the China-U.S. summit. This deserves the attention of people from the two countries and across the world, especially in this time of much uncertainty and turbulence.

The China-U.S. relationship has gone through a bumpy journey in the past several years as some in the U.S. have been obsessed with the theory of "Thucydides's Trap." At the same time, the two countries saw an uptick in their bilateral relations following their leaders' meeting in Bali, Indonesia. This encouraging trend was then disrupted by a wandering balloon. Despite all these ups and downs, neither side can deny the fact that China and the U.S. working together can bring benefit to humankind.

Seventy years ago, China and the U.S. fought side by side as allies in World War II and jointly defended world peace and justice. This has formed a shared legacy, forever etched in the memory of the two peoples.

Last month, on the same day when California Governor Gavin Newsom concluded his visit to China, Harry Moyer, a veteran pilot of the American Flying Tigers, celebrated his 103rd birthday in China. In 1944, Moyer flew a series of missions with his squadron in Sichuan, working with the Chinese military and people to fight invading Japanese troops. The story of the Flying Tigers' adventure to open up the Hump Route is recorded in textbooks and widely known by the younger generation in China. American teenagers also learn about this from museums and books.

Indeed, people-to-people exchanges at grassroots level have played a big role in promoting China-U.S. relationship and preventing it from derailing. The two peoples, being friendly, caring and kind-hearted, share the good virtue of humanity. Between them, there have been many touching stories like those in Kuliang and Iowa. Trivial as they may seem, the stories have revealed something profound–exchanges and communication lay the foundation for mutual understanding and mutual trust, and foster friendship and respect between the two countries.

Unfortunately, Washington's China hawks do not seem to apprehend this. They have been going all out to cut off links and build up walls in recent years. As a result, "rival" has replaced "partner," and "competition" has replaced "cooperation." This will not only hinder people-to-people exchanges, but also result in a standoff between the two major players whose cooperation is essential in addressing the global challenges facing all of us. In a more dangerous way, miscalculations might even lead to conflicts or a hot war between China and the U.S., which is the last thing that the world needs.

When the China-U.S. summit is in the limelight this week, there will be great expectations from the international community. San Francisco is the place where the UN Charter was signed to call for joint efforts to overcome hardships and crisis for all humankind. As the summit will also take place here, countries would hope that the leaders will build on their mutual understanding and try to find a way to coexist peacefully and cooperate to address global challenges such as climate change, energy shortage and extreme poverty.

Looking further ahead, China and the U.S. need to identify the stabilizer in their interactions to keep on track the most important bilateral relationship on this planet. The just-concluded concert commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra's visit to China may serve as a reminder that the friendship between the two peoples is what needs to be cherished, as it helps boost China-U.S. relations. What is more, a great performance is possible only when all musicians play with synergy.

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