Prudence and Optimism Foster the Sino-U.S. Relationship

Only when the two countries truly recover from the financial crisis will it be possible for decisionmakers to view common points and differences in a more detached way and with greater confidence.

ENTERING 2016, President Obama embarked on his last year in office, and the presidential election campaign hit its home strait. According to media polls, the issues of greatest concern to Americans include the domestic economic situation, the two parties’ presidential nominees, the possibility of the country becoming the victim of another terrorist attack, and the complete defeat of ISIS.

In China, the complex economic situation, sluggish stock market, and the Renminbi’s fluctuating exchange rates riveted people’s attention on the domestic economy, the anti-corruption campaign, the situation in the Middle East, and the prospects for the Belt and Road Initiative.

However, North Korea’s fourth nuclear test and its ensuing satellite launch set off a ripple effect in Northeast Asian politics. They also add new elements to the China-U.S. relationship. The two massive countries and their historical interaction on questions surrounding the Asia-Pacific and other global issues will exert significant influence on the economies and the welfare of the two peoples, as well as the Middle Eastern situation and AsiaPacific security. The bilateral relationship in this new era will demand a heightened sense of priorities, and painstaking efforts from both sides.

A Tree Craves Calm While the Wind Wails

In April, 45 years ago, “ping-pong diplomacy” ended 20-plus years of estrangement and antagonism between China and the U.S., thus marking the thawing of bilateral

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at a joint press conference held in Washington D.C. during Wang’s official visit to the U.S. that began on February 23, 2016.