Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25. During his visit, Xi and US President Donald Trump reached mutual understanding on a number of issues, prominently featuring the agreement to build "a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability on the basis of respect, fairness, and reciprocity."

Constructive strategic stability, a positioning of China-US relations first raised in May during Trump's visit to Beijing, has provided strategic guidance for bilateral relations. After the latest meeting in Washington, the framework took on new dimensions, defined by the three new keywords – respect, fairness and reciprocity.

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Experts' explanation of respect, fairness and reciprocity

In May, Xi elaborated on the positioning of "constructive strategic stability" as a positive stability with cooperation as the mainstay, a sound stability with moderate competition, a constant stability with manageable differences, and an enduring stability with promises of peace. In September, this position took on richer substance. 

Wu Xinbo, director of Fudan University's Center for American Studies, said that from Xi's proposal of the "four stabilities" in May to the three keywords, the two heads of state have provided crucial direction for the sound and sustained development of China-US relations.

Su Xiaohui, director of the Department for Developing Countries Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, expounded upon the three keywords. She noted that respect has long been an important foundation of China-US relations, and it is necessary for the two countries to seek common ground while reserving differences.

Where the interests of China and the US overlap, both countries should work together to expand these interests to make the pie bigger, and where interests diverge, both sides should manage the differences rationally, Su added.

Su also emphasized that China has consistently upheld the principle of fairness in its engagement with the US, as China opposes basing power on the relative strengths of countries. Wang Wen, dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, echoed the same view, calling for fairness to be reflected throughout the process of negotiation and implementation of agreements.

Su noted that the US has repeatedly stressed reciprocity in its discourse, especially concerning trade and economic relations. In areas such as tariff reductions and economic and trade negotiations, the principle of reciprocity should be reflected in respecting the shared interests of both countries, rather than prioritizing the interests of one at the expense of the other, Su said.

Sound China-US relations benefit the world

The principles of respect, fairness and reciprocity are also endorsed by international experts. 

Nathan Strout, an American scholar, said for China and the US, "recognizing while respecting differences and finding common ground can help expand and facilitate cooperation." 

Former Chilean Ambassador to China Jorge Heine observed that the recent diplomatic engagement between the US and China shows a very different dynamic than before.

"It means that there is a very fluid dialogue between the US president and the Chinese president, which obviously is very important," Heine said. "In fact, they have agreed on a stable strategic relationship, which points the way forward to greater collaboration and greater cooperation," he added, underlining the significance of the head-of-state diplomacy. 

A center of attention for the entire world, the dialogue between the two leaders carries significance far beyond bilateral ties.

Former Greek Foreign Minister George Katrougalos said the fruits of the meeting between the two heads of state will benefit not only the two countries but also the world at large.

Technology is one area where communication is especially important. As China and the US lead AI development in the world, conversations between the two countries can have a profound impact on the landscape of technological advancement.

On this front, Katrougalos highlighted that the agreement to establish the China-US AI Dialogue is of great significance for the development of AI worldwide, as the two countries are major players in artificial intelligence. 

In terms of trade, another central theme in bilateral dialogues, Kirill Babaev, director of the Institute of China and Modern Asia at the Russian Academy of Sciences, pointed out that the consensus reached by China and the United States on economic and trade issues will benefit both China and the global economy, and cooperation between China and the US has implications for global economic development.