China, U.S. should talk, not tussle

Experts call on nations to improve relations for the sake of global peace

China and the United States should return to a path of dialogue and win-win cooperation and shoulder their shared responsibility as major powers to serve as anchors for global peace and prosperity, Chinese officials and international experts said on Tuesday.

Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the world is closely watching China-U.S. relations because of their significance to each other and to humanity at large.

"It is our consistent view that China and the U.S. must live in peace. Conflict and confrontation are not our options," Liu said at the opening ceremony of the Fourth Wanshou Dialogue on Global Security in Beijing. "We hope that the U.S. side will join us in pursuing dialogue, partnership and win-win cooperation instead of confrontation, alliances and zero-sum games."

The two-day forum, themed "Universal Security in a Turbulent World: The Responsibility of Major Countries", brought together officials, scholars and experts from across the globe to explore how the international community can reduce tensions and conflicts and build a more peaceful and prosperous world.

Liu's remarks followed a high-level China-U.S. economic and trade meeting concluded on Sunday in Geneva, Switzerland, which he said produced some positive outcomes.

"We hope that the United States will build on this meeting, continue to work with China in the same direction, fully rectify its wrong practice of unilateral tariff hikes, keep strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation, uphold the sound, stable and sustainable development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations, and jointly inject more certainty and stability into the world economy," he said.

Liu also reiterated China's commitment to being a constructive force for peace, stability and progress, and said the country will continue to promote open and inclusive economic globalization and pursue common development for all countries.

Participants at the forum criticized Washington's use of tariffs, investment barriers and trade restrictions as tools to pressure other countries, and voiced concerns that the world's two largest economies risk drifting further into confrontation.

Douglas Bandow, a special assistant to former U.S. president Ronald Reagan and a senior research fellow at the Cato Institute, said the United States and China bear a disproportionate responsibility to act not only in their own interests, but also for the benefit of the wider world.

"Our governments and peoples must find our way to work through present difficulties and disputes into a better, more prosperous and peaceful future," Bandow said. "Disagreements are sure to remain. Nevertheless, our peoples must remain in communion with one another, and our governments must pursue dialogues and policies which preserve communication, allow compromise, promote conciliation and encourage cooperation."

Benny Octaviar, former head of Indonesian Military Research Center and coordinating expert for the Indonesian National Armed Forces Commander, said major countries must reject zero-sum thinking and behave as responsible stakeholders in maintaining the international order.

"Sovereign equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence should be the guiding principles instead of double standards or geopolitical containment," he said.

Andrey Kortunov, former director general of the Russian International Affairs Council, spoke in support of globalization, saying it is not a national strategy but an inevitable stage in human development.

"It can be slowed down, but it cannot be completely stopped or reversed," he said.

Kortunov said responsible major powers must master multilateralism, as simply multiplying centers of power will not automatically bring global security or stability.

"It is important to learn how to manage relations among nations in such a way that unavoidable competition would not overshadow cooperation, and would not turn into outright confrontation," he said.