Incoming US administration needs to attach greater importance to China relations, cooperation

China-US relations are the most important bilateral relations of the 21st century, because they impact the well-being of the people of the two countries and will help shape the world’s future. And the future of China-US relations could be influenced by the new US president.

While the world faces a plethora of challenges, including geopolitical conflicts, faltering economic recovery, artificial intelligence (AI) governance, global governance reform and climate change, the frictions between major powers have intensified. To overcome these challenges, the world needs global stability and cooperation, especially cooperation between China and the United States.

READ MORE: Spokesperson: China's US policy consistent

China and the US worked together on the principle of mutual benefit and mutual respect for four decades since establishing diplomatic ties on Jan 1, 1979. In 2001, China and the US agreed to work together to counter global terrorism. In 2008, the two sides joined hands to deal with the global financial crisis and develop a new pattern of global economic governance. In 2015, they jointly helped finalize the Paris Agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, strengthening the global fight against climate change.

But the tariff war between China and the US since 2018, and the three-year COVID-19 pandemic since 2020, dealt blows to bilateral relations, as well as the global economy. And before the world could recover from the impacts of the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in February 2022, followed by the Israel-Palestine conflict in O ctober last year. Not to mention that global growth remains weak and climate governance stagnant.

No country can be immune to the consequences of global issues, and no country can overcome all the challenges alone. Global cooperation, especially cooperation between China and the US, is needed to address all these challenges.

The campaign for the just-concluded US presidential election showed that people in that country are still most concerned about domestic issues such as the economy, healthcare, immigration, crime and drug trafficking. But the US needs China’s cooperation to address the fentanyl drug problem.

Drug abuse has become a major cause of accidental deaths in the US, with the abuse of opioids such as fentanyl being especially dangerous. China is a pioneer in global drug control and the first country to formally list fentanyl and all fentanyl-like substances as narcotics. As such, the US can address the fentanyl problem in the country only by working with China to strengthen regulation on opioids.

Since the beginning of this year, China and the US have gradually resumed high-level exchanges and communication at all levels. The two sides have continued to cooperate in areas such as drug control, law enforcement, repatriation of illegal immigrants and fugitives, climate change and AI.

The US strategic community debated the country’s “China policy” and China-US relations during the presidential campaign. Though in past years being tough on China and checking China’s rise seem to have become the favorite pursuit of the US administration, the Congress and strategic circles, there are some rational voices in the US.

For example, Rush Doshi, former senior deputy director for China Affairs at the US National Security Council, said a direct conflict with China is not advisable, and that the US should reduce the risk of tensions escalating into a war through “managed competition”.

Ryan Hass, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said obsession with the thought of confronting China has undermined the US’ global leadership. And political scientists such as Jessica Chen Weiss and James Steinberg have said China and the US should not be locked in a zero-sum game, as cooperation between them is key to addressing bilateral and global issues.

ALSO READ: Onus on new US president to improve ties

It is clear therefore that Washington’s China policy is not set in stone, and its adjustment from time to time reflects the US strategic community’s recognition of the importance of China-US relations.

China’s policy toward the US has always been clear, as Beijing has always preferred dialogue and cooperation over zero-sum games. The success and achievements of China and the US are an opportunity, rather than a challenge, for both sides. So the incoming US president should attach greater importance to China-US relations and engage in win-win cooperation.

The author is director of the Institute of World Political Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. 

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.