Chen Yonglong, former Chinese Ambassador to Israel and former Minister Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in the United States

Thirty-five years ago, China and the United States established official relations. Today, for the long-term prosperity of one another, as well as world peace, I think the two powers will continue to march forward together. The Annenberg Estate meeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama in June 2013 sent good signals and marked a new development stage for Sino-U.S. relations as the two countries reached consensus on building a new type of relationship between major countries.

Building this new type of relationship is a century-long project. There are many areas for the two countries to work on together, transforming consensus to policy and then to action.

To guarantee the right direction for the two countries, a fourth Sino-U.S. joint communique should be put on the agenda. The new joint communique should focus on the purpose, principle and objectives of building this new type of relationship, which could become the roadmap for development of the Sino-U.S. relationship in a new era.

Both countries need to expand mutual trust to lay a strategic foundation for this new type of relationship. Many observers have played up mutual distrust between Beijing and Washington given their vastly different social systems and values, which some claim may become factors that could lead to war. We need to admit the differences between the two countries objectively, and we also need to change the confrontational mindset to match modern security concepts, as well as ideas of common interests. Building a cooperative partnership benefits both sides.

A sound bilateral economic and trade relationship serves as a good basis for a strong Sino-U.S. relationship. Strengthening cooperation on trade and investment should be a long-term process and needs joint efforts. No matter how many differences there are between them, economic mutual dependence between the two is the reality. The role of economic cooperation in the overall Sino-U.S. relationship will continually increase.

We also feel positive that military exchanges between China and the United States are becoming more active. Mutual visits by military leaders become more frequent. These are conducive to a new type of military relationship. Still, to promote the balanced development of the overall Sino-U.S. relationship, China and the United States should upgrade strategic dialogue regarding security and further enhance pragmatic cooperation and exchanges between the two militaries.

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