China and the United States reached a five-point consensus on Friday following a comprehensive exchange of views during U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's three-day visit to China. The agreement marks a significant step towards stabilizing bilateral relations, one of the most important in today's global landscape.
Blinken's trip, his second to China in less than a year, is seen as a tangible move to ease tensions between the two superpowers. Experts emphasize the importance of focusing on low-hanging fruits—pragmatic and easily achievable steps—to rebuild mutual trust gradually.
A 'Very Clear Signal' to the U.S.
The fundamental question of whether China and the U.S. are partners or rivals was a central theme of Blinken's visit.
During their meeting in Beijing on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping underscored that China and the U.S. are partners rather than rivals. He stressed the importance of refraining from actions that target, oppose, or damage each other.
\"This is a fundamental issue that must be addressed, just like the first button of a shirt that must be put right, in order for the China-U-S relationship to truly stabilize, improve and move forward,\" Xi told Blinken.
This message reiterates Xi's statements from his visit to San Francisco last November, where he conveyed to U.S. President Joe Biden that the two nations could coexist peacefully as respectful partners.
\"If one side views the other side as a partner, it means to look into more opportunities instead of challenges. But if one side views the other side as kind of a rivalry, it will cause a lot of trouble,\" stated Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the Department for American Studies at the China Institute of International Studies.
Similarly, Sun Chenghao, a fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, echoed these sentiments. \"By defining China as a competitor, the U.S. acts on such a perception, which only results in competition and won't lead to real cooperation,\" he told CGTN on Friday.
Both experts believe that China has sent a clear signal to the U.S. expressing a preference for collaboration over antagonism, aiming to foster a more stable and cooperative bilateral relationship.
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Experts: China, U.S. can aim for low-hanging fruits to stabilize ties
cgtn.com
