Stable China-U.S. relationship should listen to three kinds of voices: observers

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Two Sessions 2023

(ECNS) -- Observers believe that three voices should be heard in order to form a stable China-U.S. relationship, which is significant to the planet’s future as stressed by China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang.

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First, the voice of seeking mutual beneficial and win-win development of China-U.S. relationship should be heard.

“Although some U.S. politicians incite ‘decoupling’ between China and their country, economic and trade ties which have long played the role of "ballast stone" in bilateral relations still exist, and the bilateral trade volume is still rising,” said Yang Guangbin, a political advisor as well as the head of School of International Studies, Renmin University of China.

Data shows that in 2022, the total trade in goods between China and the U.S. reached a record high of 690.6 billion U.S dollars. Last year, the American Chamber of Commerce in China expressed its firm opposition to the complete "decoupling" and supported the increase in tariff exclusions on Chinese goods. The chamber pointed out that the China market has a strong R&D and innovation ecosystem and is an important income source for many leading American enterprises.

“China is becoming the largest market in the world and an important application destination for all kinds of cutting-edge and emerging technologies,” said Wang Hao, associate professor of the Center for American Studies (CAS), Fudan University.

American high-tech enterprises will inevitably lose the important overseas market of China if the U.S. insists on tech decoupling with China, Wang added.

He said that China is a key link in global supply chain and “decoupling” with China means the reconstruction of the whole global supply chain system, which will sharply raise the cost of production, sale, logistics and other links.

“The violation of economic laws by the U.S. for political and strategic purposes will inevitably make countries bear the cost and have a significant negative impact on the global economy,” he said.

Second, the rational and pragmatic voice from U.S. think tanks should be heard.

Zhao Mei, a CPPCC member, pointed out that the politics and economy of the U.S. is undergoing unprecedented changes, and bilateral exchanges have been blocked due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in both sides don’t understand each other well.

“We need to restart exchanges, enabling domestic scholars go out and invite foreign scholars home to enhance mutual understanding,” said Zhao.

Zhao said that there are still some insightful Americans who keep active communications with China. “As scholars, we should deepen our understanding of and research on the U.S., work together to increase trust and dispel doubts, and put bilateral relations back on the right path,” said Zhao.

Third, both sides should pay attention to the voice of two peoples seeking affinity and friendship.

“The American people are as warm, friendly and honest as the Chinese people. They all pursue a happy life and a better world,” said China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang.

Lin Songtian, a political advisor as well as the President of the Chinese People"s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), said before difficulties facing the China-U.S. relations, it is particularly important and urgent for local and non-governmental organizations of the two countries to actively carry out face-to-face exchanges, visits and dialogues, so as to find out common interests and challenges, thus creating conditions for bilateral relations to be back to a rational path.

“People-to-people exchanges are a significant base for China-U.S. political relationship,” said Wang Hao.

He suggested that both sides should recover personnel exchanges as soon as possible, deepen and expand bilateral cooperation in terms of climate change, food security, nuclear issues of the Democratic People"s Republic of Korea and Iran, and other regional and global issues, so as to hedge competition to the maximum extent and avoid the relationship between the two countries being completely dominated by competition.

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