Historic landmark and new horizons in China-US trade relations

Editor's note: He Weiwen is a senior fellow of the Center for China and Globalization. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

At the end of the visit, China and the United States reached eight "deliverables and understandings."

The first and most important is that the two sides agreed to build "a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability on the basis of respect, fairness, and reciprocity." 

The term "on the basis of respect, fairness and reciprocity" was added to a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability agreed during US President Donald Trump's visit to China in May. It implies explicitly that China and the US are equal partners.

In just over four months, China and the US had an exchange of head-of-state visits. It marks a historic milestone, augurs well for sound relations between the world's two largest countries, and contributes to global peace and progress.

China and the United States held the eighth round of their economic and trade consultations in New York and Washington, DC, the United States, from September 20 to 23, reaching a positive consensus that contributes to the economic and trade outcomes of the meeting of the two heads of state, China's Ministry of Commerce said on Monday.

The rapid improvement in the China-US relationship anchored by the two heads of state, and the concrete deliveries in trade and investment, have provided a very encouraging and optimistic outlook and the strongest support to business communities in both countries. 

According to China customs data, since Trump's visit to China in May 2026, there has been a strong upturn in China-US two-way trade, which averaged $56.6 billion per month during June-August.

A US-China Business Council survey in 2026 showed that over half of its members had plans to expand their business in China. An American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai survey also showed that 58% of its members were positive over their China business over the next five years, up from 41% a year ago. A recent poll by Chicago Council on Global Affairs also showed that 57% of the respondents remained positive on China.

The launch of China-US AI dialogue is even more important than all the other deliveries in trade and investment, and will be of far-reaching significance. China and the US are the world's two largest AI powers by far. The fast-growing AI and related technologies represent the world's future industries and the future of the world. The UN Conference on Trade and Development has estimated that the world AI market size could hit $4.8 trillion by 2033, and a PWC study estimated that AI could contribute $15.7 trillion to world GDP by 2030. China and the US thus have enormous stakes in AI technology and related economic growth.

The China-US AI dialogue will be first focused on AI security and its boundaries, not only the national security, but also security regarding AI trends and possible risks beyond control. On this basis, both sides need work together for the necessary rules and fences. In the meantime, the world does not need a vision of AI G2 dominating the world. China and the US can cooperate with other multilateral AI organizations, including the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization and the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence.

While dialogue on security and rule-making is all necessary, both sides can also explore the areas and possibilities for AI win-win cooperation. If the world's two largest AI powers could find new frontiers for cooperation, for enhancing AI technology and related industries in both countries, the bilateral trade and investment relationship will move up to a completely new height, thus benefiting our two peoples and people of the world.