Positive phone call offers hope of new beginning for ties that will bear fruit

President Xi Jinping again congratulated Donald Trump on Friday on his reelection as president of the United States. In a telephone call with the president-elect, Xi said that both leaders attached importance to interacting with each other. He expressed his hopes that China-US ties will have a new beginning, relations will achieve greater progress over the next four years, and the two countries will become partners and friends.

Xi stressed that as two great nations, China and the US are both chasing their respective dream, and both are dedicated to having their peoples lead a better life. The two countries have broad common interests and lots of cooperation space, and they can contribute to each other's success, benefiting the two nations and the world.

Afterwards, Trump posted on his Truth Social account that he had just spoken with President Xi and the "call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A. It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately".

The telephone call, in addition to the congratulatory message that President Xi sent to Trump on Nov 7, following his reelection as president of the US, underscored Beijing's willingness to foster a constructive relationship with the new administration.

A China-US relationship with stable, healthy and sustainable development serves the common interests of the two countries and meets the expectations of the international community. History shows that both countries gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.

It is hoped that the two sides will enhance dialogue and communication on the basis of mutual respect, properly manage their differences and expand their mutually beneficial cooperation. Finding the right way for China and the US to get along with each other and peacefully coexist will meet the expectations of both peoples and the world.

Over the past four years, China-US relations have gone through ups and downs, but the two sides have continued to engage in dialogue and cooperation by means of more than 20 communication mechanisms that have been restarted or established. With guidance from the top leadership, these mechanisms have played a vital role in maintaining overall stability in the relationship.

As President Xi has stressed on multiple occasions, the US should treat China as an equal partner and refrain from attempts to reshape China's development according to its own preferences or undermine its legitimate rights.

Contradictions and differences between two major countries such as China and the US are unavoidable. But that is no reason why one side should try to undermine the core interests of the other, let alone challenge the paramount principles that are the foundation for their relations. The one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques are the political bedrock of China-US relations, and must be respected by any US administration.

As President Xi has previously underscored, the Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, China's path and system, and China's right to development are China's four red lines. These are the most important guardrails for relations with China. The US should have a correct perception of China and its development. It should recognize that the common interests of China and the US are expanding rather than contracting. Engaging in more dialogue and cooperation with China is not only beneficial but also essential for addressing global challenges.

Facing the increasingly grave global challenges ranging from climate change to burning regional issues, China and the US have no reason not to always keep in mind the bigger picture of humanity's future and their responsibilities for world peace. They should provide public goods for the world, act in a way conducive to global unity and not coerce other countries into taking sides.

The trajectory of China-US relations over the past 45 years has proved the resilience and vitality of their relationship. It is clear that when the two countries treat each other as partners and seek common ground while shelving differences, their relationship makes considerable progress. China is willing to facilitate people-to-people and cultural exchanges to help the US people gain a better understanding of the country's modernization efforts and its goals.

China's US policy remains unchanged. Its desire for a stable, healthy and sustainable relationship with the US remains unchanged. At this critical moment, the two countries have a clear responsibility to history, to the two peoples and to the world.

Beijing has made it clear that it is willing to work with the US under the second Trump administration to stabilize, improve and take China-US relations forward. It is to be hoped that the new US administration will, as Trump said, reciprocate this commitment.