Professor Wang Dong was interviewed by Ming Pao on President Xi Jinping’s September 23-25 US visit, discussing how the visit could advance strategic consensus through concrete cooperation mechanisms, manage bilateral differences, and enhance the stability and predictability of China-US relations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25, setting several historic precedents in bilateral diplomatic history. The two heads of state visited each other’s countries within less than six months, marking an unprecedented development in the history of China-US relations. It was also the first time that a US president had gone to the airport to welcome a Chinese leader.
Wang Honggang, director of the Institute of Peaceful Development, CASS, said that these precedent-breaking developments were not merely a reflection of President Donald Trump’s personal preference. Rather, they highlighted historic changes in China-US relations, reflecting the US assessment that the two countries’ strengths are nearly on a par, its reflection on the previous approach of pursuing strategic competition with China, and its recognition that the stability of China-US relations is closely linked to global stability.
Strategic Stability in China-US Relations Matters to the World
During the visit, President Xi Jinping repeatedly referred to “the right way for two major countries to get along.” Wang Dong, executive director of the Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding at Peking University, said the concept was the key theme of the visit, serving as its central thread and reflecting a fundamental principle that China has consistently upheld in managing bilateral relations.
Wang Honggang said that the right way for China and the United States to get along is to pursue “constructive strategic stability” as a long-term approach.
In May, the two heads of state jointly established the positioning of “constructive strategic stability” for China-US relations: 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. In Wang Dong’s view, the visit further translated broad strategic consensus into concrete and implementable cooperation mechanisms. In essence, it helped set boundaries for competition, establish mechanisms to manage differences, and identify specific areas for cooperation, making bilateral relations more stable, predictable and manageable.
AI Emerges as a Key Issue as Both Sides Explore Risk Management
Artificial intelligence was a prominent issue during the visit. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held their first dialogue on AI.
Wang Dong said AI has become a key factor shaping the security and competitive landscape between China and the United States. Both sides recognize that properly managing risks in the field of AI is crucial to maintaining global strategic stability. The latest interaction, building on the government-to-government dialogue mechanism, seeks to explore risk-management arrangements and ensure that emerging technologies play a constructive role, thereby injecting greater stability into China-US relations.
People-to-people exchanges were another highlight of the visit. During a welcome ceremony at the White House, Xi announced that China would invite 100,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs over the next five years.
The “50,000 in Five Years” initiative had already achieved its target ahead of schedule.“Expanding youth exchanges will continue to strengthen the people-to-people foundation of China-US relations, enabling more young Americans to experience and better understand the real China firsthand, offset the effects of one-sided narratives overseas, and build mutual trust among the people of the two countries,” Wang Dong said.
People-to-People Exchanges Build Mutual Understanding
Meanwhile, differences and competition between China and the United States remain in areas including trade and economic relations, the Taiwan question and geopolitics. The scholars interviewed noted that structural differences between the two countries are likely to persist, and that the new normal in China-US relations will involve both cooperation and competition. The key is to effectively manage the competitive aspects of the relationship. The visit also aimed to expand areas of cooperation while managing the risks arising from differences.
It was also noteworthy that the two leaders wore purple-red ties during occasions including the welcome ceremony at the White House, conveying a sense of mutual understanding. Chinese elements were also incorporated into the state banquet, including the menu, decorations and musical performances.
“This demonstrates that major-power relations are not solely about competition and confrontation. They also involve mutual learning between civilizations and treating each other as equals,” Wang Dong said. “A balanced approach combining firmness with flexibility is more conducive to rational dialogue and resolving differences.”
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