By Zhong Sheng

A recent poll released by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs shows that 53 percent of Americans believe the United States should undertake friendly cooperation and engagement with China. Some media outlets noted that this marked the first time since 2019 that a majority of U.S. people have preferred a policy of cooperation and engagement toward China.

This shift suggests that, despite ongoing complexities in China-U.S. relations, more rational and pragmatic perspectives are gradually taking shape as both sides manage their differences with increasing caution and responsibility.

The ability of major countries to properly handle differences directly impacts world peace and stability. From historical lessons in European balance-of-power dynamics to bipolar confrontation during the Cold War, international relations have consistently demonstrated both the risks of confrontation and the value of cooperation.

Today, as the world’s largest developing and developed countries respectively, China and the United States differ in history and culture, social systems, and development paths. How the two sides interpret and address these differences will be critical in shaping a path toward peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation—an endeavor with both immediate and long-term global significance.

Understanding and managing differences, especially in economic and trade relations, requires a sober and realistic perspective. As the world’s two largest economies, China and the United States are bound by vast and wide-ranging economic and trade ties. Diverging interests, competition, and occasional frictions are natural. What matters is to maintain a strategic view, focusing on the broader relationship rather than allowing isolated disputes to overshadow the overall benefits of cooperation. Exaggerating conflicts risks creating a self-reinforcing cycle of antagonism.

Grounded in the present and oriented toward the future, both countries should prioritize strategic, long-term interests and ensure the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of bilateral economic and trade relations, which serve the fundamental interests of both countries and contribute positively to global economic stability.

Effective management of differences hinges on principled dialogue. In 2025, following a consensus reached by the two heads of state, China-U.S. economic and trade interactions returned to the right track of equal dialogue, demonstrating that dialogue is preferable to confrontation.

However, dialogue must be grounded in firm principles. Mutual respect and equality are fundamental to the effective management of differences. The two sides should respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, as well as the independent choices each has made regarding its development path. When these boundaries are breached through coercion or pressure, the basis for meaningful dialogue is significantly undermined.

For dialogue to deliver tangible outcomes, it must be constructive and solution-oriented. From Geneva to Kuala Lumpur, the two countries have held five rounds of negotiations. Despite challenges, both sides have consistently recognized the value of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism and have made joint efforts to resolve problems.

Each round of talks has produced positive signals that energized businesses in both countries and bolstered confidence in global markets. The two sides should cherish the outcomes achieved so far, implement agreed-upon outcomes, and continue advancing dialogue based on equality, mutual respect, and shared benefit, thus steadily narrowing the list of problems while expanding areas of cooperation.

Managing differences requires not only responsive mechanisms during times of tension but also proactive bridge-building during periods of stability to foster mutual understanding and cooperation.

Recently, China and the United States have jointly facilitated a series of business and commercial exchanges. These in-person engagements have strengthened mutual trust, deepened practical cooperation, and received positive responses from the business communities of both countries.

People-to-people bonds remain a resilient pillar of China-U.S. relations. The two sides should focus on cultivating greater mutual understanding by promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges, amplifying authentic voices to dispel misperceptions, and nurturing respect and consensus through sustained interpersonal interaction. In doing so, they can “plant more flowers and fewer thorns,” reinforcing the human foundation of bilateral ties.

History has repeatedly demonstrated that there are no insurmountable obstacles or unresolvable problems between China and the United States. With mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and a commitment to win-win cooperation, the two countries can build a stable, sustainable, and constructive bilateral relationship.

From a long-term perspective, China’s development and national rejuvenation are not incompatible with the United States’ pursuit of being “great again.” By embracing the principle of seeking common ground while shelving differences, replacing confrontation with dialogue, resolving differences through cooperation, and maintaining a strategic focus on the broader relationship, the two countries can achieve mutual success and shared prosperity.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

Source: People’s Daily