Editor's note: Yu Bokun is a CGTN economic commentator. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of CGTN.

For years, the economic relationship between China and the United States has been described in terms of competition: Who sells more, who makes more.

But there is another crucial side to the relationship — cooperation — and sometimes, you can see it most clearly in a single product.

Take cars, for example.

American automaker General Motors and its Chinese partner SAIC Motor recently agreed to extend their joint venture for another 20 years. What makes the partnership notable is that it is no longer simply about selling American cars to Chinese consumers.

According to Detroit-based GM, the renewed partnership puts the joint venture in a position to boost its technological transformation and increase growth opportunities.

China's SAIC brings a huge automotive market, a dense supply chain and expertise in electric vehicles. America's GM brings global brands, engineering capabilities and access to international markets.

Put those pieces together, and the result is not simply a Chinese product or an American product. It is a product developed through cooperation — and potentially sold to the rest of the world.

Liu Chunsheng, an associate professor at the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, said the partnership between GM and SAIC reflects the core of China-US economic and trade cooperation: Leveraging complementary strengths and creating value together.

"The cooperation is not simply about one side entering the other's market. Rather, it is about combining their respective resources and strengths to develop products better suited to the Chinese market, while also contributing to the global supply chain," Liu said.

From "Made in China" to "Created together"

For decades, the basic model of global trade was relatively simple. One country made the product. Another country bought it.

But supply chains have become much more complicated. Today, the value of a product can come from several countries at the same time — from design and engineering to manufacturing, software, logistics and marketing.

So, cooperation is more of a necessity than a choice, as neither side can provide everything on its own.

The World Economic Forum estimates that trade and financial fragmentation is already costing the global economy up to $307 billion a year. So keeping markets connected is not just a political slogan. It has an economic value.

The WTO, meanwhile, estimates that trade facilitation has cut global trade costs by between 1%and 4%, helping boost trade by more than 230 billion dollars.

And global value chains can do more than lower costs. They can also help spread technology and knowledge, encourage innovation and improve productivity. That is why businesses look for cooperation.

"Technological collaboration among multinational companies is vital to global resource allocation. If it continues to slow, it could weigh on innovation in sectors such as new energy and smart vehicles, making it harder for new technologies to advance," Liu said.

Why businesses keep connecting

Despite all the restrictions, businesses ultimately look at another calculation: Does cooperation create value?

One way to see that value is through investment. When companies invest across borders, they are not just moving money. They often bring technology, expertise, production capacity, and access to new markets.

And this remains a significant part of the global economy.

According to UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global foreign direct investment rose 6% to $1.6 trillion in 2025. UNCTAD says FDI can help economies absorb and deploy new technologies and participate more effectively in global value chains.

That is the logic behind partnerships like GM and SAIC. The value does not have to come from one side alone. It can come from putting different strengths together — and reaching a bigger market.

And perhaps that is the more practical way to look at China-US economic cooperation. The two countries may compete in some areas. But when their strengths complement each other, cooperation can create value that goes beyond either side alone.

It is not always about who wins.

Sometimes, it is about what we can create together.