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Chinese President Xi Jinping's phone call with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, on Wednesday reaffirms the shared responsibility the world's two largest economies bear for global stability and development.

In a year when both countries face important items on their domestic and diplomatic agendas, the conversation sends a clear signal that Beijing and Washington are willing to keep the giant ship of bilateral ties on a steady, forward course despite headwinds.

"The two sides should make progress step by step to build mutual trust, find the right way to get along, and make 2026 a year where the two major countries advance toward mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation," Xi said in the phone conversation.

Over the past year, Xi and Trump have maintained smooth communication and held a successful meeting in Busan, which helped chart the direction for China-U.S. relations and was welcomed by people in both countries and the broader international community. This accumulated political trust provides a valuable foundation at a moment when the international situation remains complex and fluid.

In this context, Wednesday's call is not a routine gesture, but an important move to consolidate positive momentum and prevent differences from derailing the larger relationship.

True, the two countries have divergences and their respective concerns. But this cannot impede their mutually beneficial cooperation. And Xi's remarks during the call offer a pragmatic roadmap: follow the common understandings already reached, enhance dialogue and communication, manage differences properly, and expand practical cooperation.

Rather than seeking dramatic breakthroughs overnight, this approach emphasizes cumulative progress through concrete steps. As Xi put it, "It is always right to do a good thing, however small, and always wrong to do a bad thing, however small," a principle that resonates in an era when even minor miscalculations can quickly escalate.

To avoid miscalculations, it is necessary to draw redlines clearly. Xi reiterated that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. This is not new rhetoric. Its inclusion in the call is a reminder that any sustainable stability in China-U.S. relations must rest on serious and prudent handling of this question.

Xi's call for the United States to approach arms sales to Taiwan with prudence is therefore both a warning and an invitation: to reduce risks and keep the broader relationship on track.

Seen from a wider lens, the conversation highlights a basic truth: confrontation between China and the United States serves no one's interests, while cooperation – when grounded in mutual respect – benefits not only the two countries, but the entire world.

In supply chains, financial markets, climate action, and technological innovation, the choices made in Beijing and Washington ripple across continents. A phone call cannot resolve all disagreements, but it can help set expectations, lower tensions, and create space for diplomacy to work.

When Xi speaks of making 2026 a year in which the two major countries advance toward mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, he articulates a vision that stands in contrast to zero-sum thinking and bloc confrontation. This is not naïve idealism; it is a sober recognition that in an interconnected world, security and prosperity are increasingly indivisible.

The more turbulent the world becomes, the more it needs China.

It is worth noting that Xi's talk with Trump coincided with his video conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. As 2026 began, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer all visited China in quick succession.

The world is increasingly valuing China, recognizing it as a nation committed to peace, eager to seize opportunities from its development, and aspiring to be China's friend rather than its adversary. This was not some impulsive turn to Look East, but a wise decision to look to what works.

China's determination to pursue peace and win-win cooperation is what the world needs most. Its appeal lies not in its rhetoric, but in the steady resolve of its peaceful path and the open embrace of shared development.

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