Dialogue at Boao Forum: China and the US have to cooperate in many fields

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‍By CGTN's Lu Yanrong

The Sino-US relationship is seen as an important factor in determining the future stability and development of the world, but it has been filled with many uncertainties after President Trump's election.

In “Dialogue with Thinkers,” a discussion panel gathering experts from China, the US, Singapore, and Australia at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2017, the common view is that China and the US have to cooperate with each other in many areas.

“Without cooperation, both China and the US will be weakened,” Said Justin Yifu Lin, Honorary Dean of the School of National Development at Peking University. “China is a supporter of globalization and free trade instead of a leader.”

Director of the Centre on Asia and Globalization at the National University of Singapore, Huang Jing believes that as leaders of the two largest powers in the world, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping should discuss how to promote global governance, because it is the most important manifestation of leadership. In addition, the global order relies on multilateral agreements.

But he remains optimistic on the future of the Sino-US relations. In his view, no matter how tough the Trump regime, it has no way to overthrow the foundation of bilateral relations between China and the United States, because these two countries are interdependent.

Talking about the South China Sea issue, the former Foreign Minister of Australia, Bob Carr said that the United States had hoped to challenge China through Australia, but Australia made it clear that it would not participate in the South China Sea issue. “The United States attempts to put pressure on China through Australia. This does not meet the interests of alliance.”

In the view of the former US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, “I think China and the United States will continue to embark on a cooperative trade in the long run, but in the short term, there may be more difficulties or friction in their relations, because Trump must prove to the voters that he can be very tough.”

When Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, he was expected to bring changes to the country. But following a mandate of anti-globalization and protectionism seems only to be leading to the US' isolation from the rest of the world. Whether the world order is undergoing reconstruction remains to be seen.

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