The 40th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic ties came on the heels of the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. The economic success and social progress achieved over the past four decades has resulted from the diligence, creativity and dedication of the Chinese people, as well as support and assistance from the rest of the world, including the United States.

Forty years on, cooperation has turned out to be the best and indeed, only correct option. China-U.S. collaboration has not only created immense development opportunities and brought substantial benefits for both countries and people, but also helped reshape the world order, accelerate globalization and improve global governance, thus serving as a major driving force of global peace and prosperity.

The past four decades have not been a smooth ride for the bilateral relationship. Even their trade and economic relations, dubbed the ballast stone for bilateral ties, have experienced twists and turns, from the tough textile and apparel quota restrictions and tedious annual reviews of the most favored nation status to the prolonged talks on China's entry into the World Trade Organization, as well as the ongoing trade frictions.

China and the United States, both great nations with great people, need not fear any fair, rational and healthy competition. But they must be smart enough to avoid a zero-sum game, which harbors a high risk of dragging both nations back into a lose-lose situation of conflicts and confrontation.

At a time when the world is undergoing unprecedentedly profound changes and is fraught with risks and uncertainties, the global community expects even closer collaboration between the two largest economies to help reinforce the global response to numerous common challenges, such as climate change, terrorism, nuclear proliferation and transnational crime.

(This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published by Xinhua News Agency on January 1)