Pragmatic progress in China-U.S. ties

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On September 19, Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone conversation described as pragmatic, positive and constructive. Xi said China-U.S relations are of great significance, and the recent consultations between both sides have demonstrated the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit. They can continue to properly handle the prominent issues in the bilateral relations and strive for win-win outcomes.

It is, without a doubt, a sign of progress in a relationship regarded by many as falling into the quagmire of repeated rounds of negotiations with little progress. Since April, America's tariff apocalypse has turned the global trading order upside down. Despite rounds of negotiations and a temporary pause in America's reckless tariff measures against China, the United States kept up assaults on Chinese companies, using tariffs to pressure China into complying with its geopolitical agenda.

But despite the hiccups, the fact that the two leaders held a phone conversation after the negotiations in Spain show real, pragmatic progress. With a "basic framework consensus" reached on TikTok, the Chinese app loved by millions of Americans, the two sides have shown a willingness to tackle the tough issues that require compromises on both sides – an essential requirement for a functional relationship between two countries diametrically different in their political system, economic norms and culture.

Following the talks in Spain, Cui Fan, a professor of economics at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said in an interview that the economic and trade relations between China and the United States have entered a period of "strategic stability."

"In my view, we're unlikely to see extremely high tariffs, such as the over 100 percent tariffs we saw in mid-to-late April, or the kind of arbitrary export control measures from the U.S. that we used to see," Cui said, "because that's not in either side's interest."

Even Trump acknowledged in the phone call that the U.S.-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, adding that by working together the two countries can achieve many great things conducive to world peace and stability.

There are precedents for that. The landmark Paris Agreement injected enormous confidence into the global fight against climate change. The long-standing Agreement between the United States and China on Cooperation in Science and Technology has enabled valuable joint projects, ranging from environment and agriculture to health. And a stable China-U.S. trade relationship is the backbone of global economic stability, as the world's two largest economies, accounting for over 40 percent of the global GDP and the world's top innovators, are in many ways complementary in their strengths and advantages.

However, there is no doubt that challenges remain. TikTok is an important but just one of the many difficult issues that the two sides have to resolve before a truly stable relationship can be forged. The anti-China sentiment in the United States, stirred up for politicians' benefits, is an insidious threat to long-term stability between the two countries. And how the U.S. chooses to wield its power in achieving its goals – whether using it  as leverage or for cooperation – will be a major influence on global stability in the future.

History has demonstrated that when China and the U.S. fall into confrontation, the global community suffers. The phone call is a signal that both have a desire to move wisely in the interests of each other as well as the international system. Ensuring cooperation, not conflict, should be not a one-off attempt but a continuous effort. The responsibility lies with both countries. China has always chosen to stand for cooperation. It is up to the U.S. to keep it alive.

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