Concrete actions urged to turn new vision into reality

As China and the United States emphasized "constructive strategic stability" in their new vision for bilateral relations, experts expressed the hope that both nations will take concrete actions to turn the vision into reality.

President Xi Jinping and visiting US President Donald Trump agreed on the vision to build a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability during their meeting on Thursday morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

During their talks, Xi said the "constructive strategic stability" should be a positive stability with cooperation as the mainstay, a sound stability with moderate competition, a constant stability with manageable differences, and an enduring stability with promises of peace.

Building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability is not merely a slogan; it means taking actions in the same direction, Xi added.

Su Xiaohui, an associate research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, said this Sino-US summit once again serves as a testament to the pivotal role of head-of-state diplomacy, and it shows the remarkable importance both countries attach to bilateral relations.

The new vision of building a constructive relationship of strategic stability serves as the latest reminder of China's proactive approach in shaping its ties with the US, she said.

"This new vision highlights the broad potential for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes between China and the US. Both sides share the need for cooperation and hope to advance mutually beneficial collaboration," Su said.

It is evident that China-US cooperation helps serve the development interests of both countries, she added.

Diao Daming, professor and vice-dean at the National Academy of Development and Strategy of Renmin University of China, said the new vision could usher in a new phase of China-US relations and help the two nations find the right way to get along with each other in the new era.

"Exploring such a path is extremely significant for the China-US relationship and a top priority," he said.

Diao pointed out that the ties will remain generally stable for a period of time in the future if the US manages to carry forward and keep endorsing this new vision as a bilateral consensus.

"By doing so, more positive, constructive collaboration will become possible, which will benefit the two peoples and the rest of the world," he added.

Su, from the China Institute of International Studies, noted that strategic stability is a shared need for both countries.

"Constructive strategic stability does not mean that China and the US have no differences. Given the different national conditions of the two countries, differences are inevitable," she said. "However, when it comes to managing these differences and maintaining strategic stability, both sides need to work together toward the same goal. This is a test of wisdom for both nations."

Currently, China and the US together account for more than one-third of global economic output, and their combined commodity trade accounts for around one-fifth of the world's total.

According to China's General Administration of Customs, the value of bilateral trade totaled $179.2 billion in the first four months of this year.

Diao, from Renmin University of China, said that taking cooperation as the mainstay of the relationship means that although both sides have their own interests in the economic and trade sectors, it is generally mutually beneficial.

"We believe that competition in these areas should remain within reasonable bounds. The competition should be healthy, allowing both sides to achieve development while supporting each other, instead of a life-or-death struggle or a battle for victory," he said.

Seeking "sound stability within moderate competition" means the entire landscape of China-US relations should not be defined by "strategic competition", Diao said.

"In recent years, bilateral relations have remained generally stable and avoided a free fall. The next step should be to build on this progress," he added.