Meeting will set the tone

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump will meet in Florida in the United States on Thursday and Friday to set the tone for the future development of bilateral relations. Their Mar-a-Lago meeting, the first between the two presidents since Trump took office in January, will dispense with much of the formality usually associated with a state visit so as to focus on effective communication on issues of common concern.

For those alarmed that uncertainties might arise from policy adjustments by the Trump administration, the meeting sends a positive and reassuring message that the two countries lay great stress on stability in their relationship.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1979, China and the US have had their share of ups and downs, but cooperation has remained the main theme, especially now given their greater-thanever interdependence and increasing convergence of interests.

The two countries have come a long way, with the two-way trade of goods surging 207-fold from 1979 to $519.6 billion in 2016. Bilateral investment amounted to more than $170 billion at the end of last year. They have also cooperated in the fight against terrorism, climate change and other issues of global impact.

Accomplishments like these speak volumes about how beneficial a sound China-US relationship can be, not only to the two peoples, but the world at large. Cooperation has proved to be the right way forward.

In 2013, Beijing and Washington talked about moving forward their ties based on non-confrontation, no conflict, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

These principles are expected to continue to prevail, as indicated by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s reiteration of the principles in his March trip to China and Trump’s pledge to adhere to the one-China policy in a phone talk with Xi in February.

Maintaining close communication, especially at the highest level, will make sure their relations stay on the right track.

Amid the weak global economic recovery and a growing backlash against globalization, the world is looking to China and the US for leadership.

At the upcoming meeting, Xi and Trump are expected to seek consensus on economic and trade cooperation, among other topics. The results of the meeting will have global implications.

They need to set a good example for the world, shoulder their due responsibilities, and provide more public goods to promote the wellbeing of all. —XINHUA NEWS AGENCY