Editor's note: Xu Ying is a Beijing-based international affairs commentator for CGTN. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump sat down for tea at the White House on September 25, the relaxed setting belied the diplomatic significance of the occasion. At the heart of their meeting was an effort to give China-US relations a more precise and forward-looking definition: a "constructive relationship of strategic stability on the basis of respect, fairness, and reciprocity."

In diplomacy, words are rarely merely words. Especially between the world's two largest economies and most consequential major powers, a mutually agreed formulation can serve as both a signal of political intent and a framework for managing differences.

As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted, head-of-state diplomacy acts as the "compass" for China-US relations. At every critical juncture for the "giant ship" of the China-US relationship, head-of-state diplomacy has provided the necessary navigation.

The significance of the latest formulation becomes clearer when viewed against the evolution of China-US ties over the past decade. Successive formulation – from "constructive strategic partners" and "stakeholders" to the proposal for a "new type of major-country relationship" – reflected different efforts to define the possibilities and limits of bilateral cooperation.

The concept of "constructive strategic stability" initially agreed upon during Trump's visit to Beijing in May marked a vital step in this process. During that visit, the two leaders explicitly directed their teams to strive toward a relationship defined by "cooperation as the main theme, measured competition, manageable differences, and predictable peace." This new positioning reflected the reality of steady progress and set the stage for the relationship's continuous improvement.

The Washington formulation, however, adds three specific words that give this concept greater political substance and strategic clarity: "respect, fairness and reciprocity."

"Respect" addresses one of the most fundamental requirements of relations between major powers. As Wang Yi explained, it includes respecting each other's chosen social systems and development paths; respecting each other's core interests and major concerns; respecting each party's right to development. Neither country can expect a durable relationship if it approaches the other on the assumption that its own interests automatically take precedence.

For China, this principle is inextricably linked to its bottom-line stance on questions like Taiwan. During the visit, Xi reiterated China's firm resolve to safeguard national unity and territorial integrity, urging the US to adhere to its opposition to "Taiwan independence" and handle this prudently to remove interference from the broader strategic relationship.

"Fairness" carries particular weight in the economic and strategic relationship. Trade, technology and market access have repeatedly spilled over into the broader strategic dynamic. Fairness, in this context, means pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation and negotiating differences rather than engaging in a zero-sum game.

It establishes an important principle: Economic and strategic competition should not become a permanent exercise in seeking unilateral, absolute advantage. For two economies so deeply connected, an arrangement viewed as fundamentally unfair by one side will eventually become politically unsustainable. A more durable relationship requires mechanisms through which interests can be balanced and mutually beneficial opportunities preserved.

Then comes "reciprocity" – perhaps the most consequential word in the formulation. Even if there is competition between China and the United States, it should be a healthy competition of mutual learning and benefits and an active competition of catching up with each other.

Wang also emphasized that differences between the two nations are normal, and sometimes sharp, but managing them through "seeking common ground while reserving differences" is the very essence of a constructive relationship of strategic stability. To this end, the two leaders agreed to leverage political and diplomatic channels, maintain normalized military-to-military dialogue, and enhance communication across trade, finance, law enforcement and cultural departments to build trust and dispel misgivings.

The Chinese dream of national rejuvenation and the American vision of making the country great again are not mutually exclusive; rather, they can proceed in parallel, complement each other and ultimately benefit the world.

Whether the "Thucydides Trap" can be crossed or not requires concrete actions moving in the same direction by both sides and transforms "constructive relationship of strategic stability" into reality.

The real achievement would not be to find words that make China-US differences disappear. It would be to establish principles that help prevent differences from becoming crises, and crises from becoming conflicts. As long as the principles of respect, fairness and reciprocity are genuinely practiced, China and the United States can forge a new path of long-term, peaceful coexistence on this planet – a path that proves two countries with different civilizations, systems and development models can navigate the 21st century together.

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