Opinion: Ensuring Trump's China visit a success

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As Beijing and Washington are preparing for US President Donald Trump's visit to China later this year, the event will surely be a special one for the world's most important bilateral relationship.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Sunday wrapped up his whirlwind China visit, during which he and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed Trump's visit in November.

Xi said currently President Trump's visit to China is the most important event in China-US relations and the teams on both sides should work closely to make it "successful and special."

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump hold a second round of talks at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, April 7, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

Indeed, Trump's scheduled visit will come at a significant moment in time only days after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

The upcoming meeting will be the third between Xi and Trump this year, with two previous meetings in the US state of Florida in April and in the German city of Hamburg in July. In those meetings, Xi and Trump exchanged views on bilateral relations.

Since the US president took office in January, the two leaders have maintained close contact on issues of common concern, including the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

The two have held eight phone conversations so far, a record number in the history of the two countries.

President Xi Jinping meets with his US counterpart Donald Trump to discuss bilateral ties and global hot-spot issues on the sidelines of a Group of 20 (G20) summit, in Hamburg, Germany, July 8, 2017. /Xinhua Photo‍

Frequent communication between the two presidents is crucial since it can help avoid misunderstandings, smoothly manage differences and strengthen bilateral cooperation.

No doubt the world's two largest economies don't see eye-to-eye on every issue. Therefore, negotiations are key to properly handling differences and disputes, and such talks must be based on mutual respect for each other's core interests.

Just as President Xi has observed, the common interests of the two countries far outweigh their differences, and "cooperation is the only correct choice."

Over the past year, China and the United States have been making progress in bilateral cooperation via four high-level dialogue mechanisms focusing on diplomacy and security, the economy, social and people-to-people exchanges, and law enforcement and cyber security.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, September 30, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Looking ahead, there are numerous areas in which the two countries can continue to work together, not only at the bilateral level, but also at the regional and international levels. Trade and investment and climate change are two examples.

Trump's visit will offer an opportunity for the two leaders to review the achievements in China-US ties and outline the relationship's next steps.

It is hoped that the US president's visit to China will bolster China-US relations and better position both countries to jointly combat global challenges.

Cooperation is in the interest of both China and the United States. Strong ties will not only benefit both countries, but the world as well.

(This piece was originally published on Xinhuanet. The author is a writer for Xinhua News Agency. The article reflects the authors' opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency