Global Times: Steering constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability forward on steady, sustained course

BEIJING, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping is paying a state visit to the US from Wednesday to Friday at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. The reciprocal state visits between the two heads of state within half a year are of historic and milestone significance.

In May 2026, the two presidents held a historic meeting in Beijing, where they agreed on a new positioning for bilateral relations aimed at building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability. They clearly defined that the two countries would work together toward a direction featuring positive stability with cooperation as the mainstay, healthy stability with competition within proper limits, constant stability with manageable differences and lasting stability with expectable peace, thereby exploring the right way for major powers to coexist in the new era, providing strategic guidance for the bilateral ties over the next three years and beyond.

Having weathered the storms, the giant ship of China-US relations has set a new course and set sail once more. From Beijing to Washington, the two heads of state will meet again after an interval of four months, providing strategic guidance to ensure that a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability remains on a steady and sustainable course.

Charting the course for China-US relations

The essence of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability is embodied in the organic unity of the "four stabilities." "Positive stability with cooperation as the mainstay" means rejecting the logic of confrontation and conflict, placing cooperation at the forefront of bilateral relations, and continuously expanding the foundation of shared interests; "healthy stability with competition within proper limits" means acknowledging that competition objectively exists between major powers, but that such competition must adhere to boundaries and follow rules, and must not be generalized into all-out confrontation; "constant stability with manageable differences" means acknowledging the long-term and complex nature of differences, managing risks through dialogue and consultation, and preventing conflicts from escalating out of control; "lasting stability with expectable peace" means firmly upholding peace as the fundamental bottom line and pursuing long-term peaceful coexistence.

The "four stabilities" further clarify the strategic boundaries and mode of interaction in China-US relations. This new positioning demonstrates China's strategic foresight in navigating the evolution of China-US relations, its profound insight into historical patterns and its sense of responsibility as a major power in the international community.

Expanding practical exchanges in various fields

The strategic blueprint outlined by the leaders of two countries is being pragmatically translated into institutional mechanisms and implemented as concrete actions across multiple fields. Relevant departments from both China and the US have maintained communication in areas such as trade and economy, diplomacy, military-to-military relations, drug control, law enforcement, artificial intelligence, and people-to-people exchanges, injecting stability into the respective development of both countries through positive expectations.

As China-US relations forge ahead through choppy waters, economic and trade cooperation should continue to serve as both a stabilizing force and a driving force. The business communities of both countries are generating a series of warm currents of mutually beneficial cooperation, safeguarding the fundamentals of China-US economic and trade cooperation, and lending their voices and efforts to help China-US relations forge ahead.

People-to-people bonds are the deepest source of strength in relations between major powers. Numerous US public opinion polls show that Americans' favorable views toward China are steadily improving. The mutual engagement between the Chinese and American peoples continues to build momentum for bilateral relations.

Building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability is a long-term, systematic endeavor. By staying the course on the consensus reached by our leaders, focusing relentlessly on the cooperative agenda, and properly managing differences and risks, we can continue to advance bilateral relations in a stable, healthy and sustainable direction.

Strategic perception is the 'first button'

Building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability requires, above all, establishing a correct strategic perception, just like the first button of a shirt that must be put right.

For a long time, certain individuals in the US have clung to a Cold War mentality, viewing China as a strategic adversary and pushing a narrative of strategic competition. Recently, Washington rolled out a series of restrictive measures against Beijing that run entirely counter to the momentum of stabilization and recovery in bilateral ties, exposing a profound disconnect between the mind-set of certain US actors and the newly defined positioning of the relationship.

The new positioning of the China-US relationship is a direct response to the fundamental question of whether China and the US are adversaries or partners. It explicitly rejects the erroneous logic of defining bilateral ties through the lens of strategic competition. It represents a reaffirmation, consolidation and reshaping of our shared pursuit to build a constructive relationship of strategic stability for the future.

China and the US should be partners and friends. This is both a lesson of history and a demand of reality. Mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation encapsulate over half a century of accumulated wisdom in China-US engagement. Standing at a new historical starting point, building a constructive relationship of strategic stability is entirely aligned with and organically continuous with this precious legacy.

Mutual respect is the vital prerequisite for achieving a constructive relationship of strategic stability, while peaceful coexistence is the absolute bottom line that two major powers must uphold. Moreover, win-win cooperation is the trend of the times and the natural color that China-US relations ought to maintain.

A correct strategic perception must ultimately translate into concrete actions that honor consensus. Upholding mutual respect, guarding the bottom line of peaceful coexistence and forging a future of win-win cooperation, both sides should maintain policy continuity and stability, injecting greater peace of mind, stabilizing forces and cooperative momentum into the international community.

The global significance of China-US constructive strategic stability

In the face of the changing and turbulent international landscape, the strategic value of China-US relations stands out with increasing clarity. Whether cooling regional flashpoints, cracking global governance puzzles or blazing new trails for human progress, none of these can succeed without a stable, healthy and sustainably developing relationship between China and the US.

The endeavor by China and the US to build a constructive relationship of strategic stability serves as a precious public good for the world. It will profoundly shape the evolution of the global power architecture and the trajectory of the future international order, generating a powerful, positive ripple effect.

Sound interaction between China and the US not only serves their own development but also safeguards global economic growth. Furthermore, as regional conflicts flare up one after another and security risks compound and resonate, the world now needs strategic stability between major powers more than ever. The coordination and cooperation of China and the US possess irreplaceable guiding value within the global governance architecture.

As the world stands at a new crossroads, the choice by China and the US to calibrate their bilateral course through a constructive relationship of strategic stability, energize development through win-win cooperation and upgrade global governance through sound interaction is an inevitable choice that accords with the trends of the times and answers international expectations.

A shared choice for history and the world

Building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability begins with top-level consensus, relies fundamentally on pragmatic action, succeeds through mutual adherence, and benefits both nations and the world at large.

China and the US must grasp the grand trends of our era, respond to the world's aspirations and make correct choices - backed by the vision and responsibility to shoulder obligations for the world and stand accountable before history - that withstand the test of time and history alike.

China stands ready to work with the US to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, steering the constructive relationship of strategic stability forward on a steady and sustained course, and continuously injecting stability and positive energy into a transforming and volatile world.

The article first appeared in the Global Times.

SOURCE Global Times