Recently there have been an increasingly pessimistic view of China-US relations. Chinese President Xi Jinping is going to pay his first state visit to the United States at this important moment. China and the United States should take the opportunity to expand areas for further cooperation, promote the building of a new type of China-US relations, and elevate the bilateral relationship to a higher level.

The bilateral relationship have gone through ups and downs since the two sides established diplomatic relations more than four decades ago. But the two sides have managed major disputes and divisions. The bilateral ties have become closer and more comprehensive. In the 1970s, cooperation between the two countries was aimed at containing an expansionist Soviet Union and therefore rather limited. In the 1980s, the bilateral cooperation expanded to such ares as economics and people’s livelihood. With further cooperation comes disputes over interests and conflicts over ideas. But disputes and discords did not halt the progress in bilateral relations. Instead the ties had been knit closer. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the two countries have not only  been advancing collaboration at the bilateral level, but also working together on pressing global issues such as anti-terrorism, spread of weapons of mass destruction, climate change, and reforms of international financial institutions. International trends, such as political multipolarization, economic globalization, IT application, and cultural diversification called on the two major powers to go beyond bilateral cooperation to inject positive energy into better global governance.

The bilateral relationship is not at the threshold of a new period, a period in which new pressure and uncertainties are on the rise. First, as the cooperation moves from bilateral level to the regional and global levels, the two countries have to find their new international identities, relationship, and common goals. In this regard, the building of a new type of major power relations is a illuminating guiding principle. Second, international relations have entered an age featuring greater globalization, informatization, and diversification; the two countries have to adjust their definitions of interests in various areas and making corresponding rules for more effective management of conflicting interests. Third, standing at a higher level of interaction, the two sides need to accommodate other interest groups’ concerns and foster positive relations with third parties. Finally, the future evolution and trajectory of US-China relations needs domestic endorsement. At this critical juncture, the two sides must plant positive elements deep into social fabrics of the two countries and advance the amity, friendship, and trust between the two peoples.

So President Xi’s state visit is a multi-mission trip. As he put it, what the two countries need to do is “continue to promote practical cooperation in various areas, deepen friendship between the two peoples to achieve greater advances in bilateral relations and bring real benefits to the two countries and their peoples.”

The China-US relationship moves forward despite twists and turns and grows under pressure. In review, we should be confident about its future trajectory and expect a productive state visit.

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