China-US diplomatic ties need recalibration after 45 years

New Year’s Day of Year 2024 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations.

Over the past years, the China-U.S. relationship has experienced ups and downs. Even though it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, it has generally maintained forward momentum, benefiting both countries and the world.

Today, annual bilateral trade stands at impressive 760 billion U.S. dollars, supporting over 2.6 million jobs in the United States.

China and the United States have collaborated with each other on global issues, including counterterrorism, financial crises and climate change, making significant contributions to global well-being.

The bilateral relationship has faced notable difficulties in the past few years, with some people in the United States perceiving China as their “most serious competitor” and China’s development as “the most consequential geopolitical challenge.”

As the world’s most critical bilateral relationship, China-U.S. relations now stand at a crucial crossroads. Whether the two nations can recalibrate this relationship is of great importance to their fundamental interests, as well as to world peace, global development and the future of humanity.

In a congratulatory message to U.S. President Joe Biden to mark the 45th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said history has already proven and will continue to fully prove that mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation are the right way for China and the United States to get along with each other as two major countries.

That should be the direction of joint efforts made by China and the United States in the new era, Xi said.

The world remains unsettled, with an ongoing crisis in Ukraine, renewed conflicts in the Middle East and a sluggish global economic recovery. Cooperation between the two major countries is more essential than ever.

San Francisco summit between Xi and Biden in November was widely and warmly welcomed by the international community and represents a historic opportunity to realign the relationship between the two countries.

Xi pointed out that he and Biden, during their meeting in San Francisco, laid out a future-oriented “San Francisco vision,” charting the course for the development of China-U.S. relations.

He called on China and the United States to earnestly implement the important common understandings and outcomes reached by the two heads of state, and take concrete actions to promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.

China and the United States have recently engaged in meaningful high-level exchanges, reviving nearly 20 dialogue and exchange mechanisms.

[Abridged]

Xinhua Commentary