Cooperation is ‘best choice’, right path for China and the US, People’s Daily says

China and the United States should be partners instead of rivals and strive to stabilise relations, Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily said in a commentary on Tuesday, striking a conciliatory tone as plans were made for a summit between President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Joe Biden.

“We hope that Sino-US relations will stabilise and improve instead of sliding into conflict and confrontation,” it said in the commentary.

“China has always believed that we must break away from the concept of competition and confrontation, look after each other’s interests and concerns, and seek the greatest common denominator for exchanges and cooperation.”

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It was the latest in a string of diplomatic engagements between the two countries as they ramp up efforts to boost communication and manage tensions after relations crumbled dramatically last year.

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The People’s Daily commentary noted that Beijing and Washington have carried out a series of important exchanges, and that there were “some positive signs in relations”.

“The healthy and stable development of Sino-US relations not only serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and their people but it is also the common expectation of the international community,” it said.

“Whether China and the United States can get along correctly affects the future and destiny of mankind.”

Calling US-China ties the “most important bilateral relations in the world”, the authors said the world needed steady relations between the two largest economies.

“The world is currently undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and the international landscape has undergone major changes. The world needs overall stable Sino-US relations more than ever,” it said.

The commentary urged Beijing and Washington to work together on issues such as the global economic recovery and climate change, adding that international and regional “hot issues” required the cooperation of both countries.

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It pointed out that the two countries had worked together for accomplishments that benefited the world.

The achievements included the fight against terrorism, the two nations’ response to the global financial crisis, and their joint efforts on climate change.

“Cooperation is always the best choice for China and the United States … Facing the current increasing global challenges, both sides should choose the right path of cooperation,” it said.

Relations between China and the US have frayed in recent years over areas including trade and technology, while Beijing has accused Washington of containing and suppressing China’s development.

The People’s Daily reiterated recent statements made by Chinese leaders, stressing that the “root cause” of deteriorating US-China ties was the “serious deviation in the US’ understanding and positioning of China”.

But it added that differences and competition between the two giants – with their different histories, cultures and social systems – was inevitable.

“This does not prevent the two sides from cooperating based on their common interests nor should it become a reason for confrontation,” it said.

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“Sino-US relations cannot be defined by competition, and the bottom line must be maintained to develop Sino-US relations.”

The opinion piece, signed by Zhong Sheng – a pen name the newspaper uses for commentaries on international affairs related to China and an abbreviation for “voice of China” – was its latest on bilateral relations.

Most of the time, such commentaries criticise the US for its policies or voice grievances about containment of China. In February, the paper published a critique of US hegemony, blaming Washington for “stirring up ideological confrontation and coercing other countries to take sides”.

In September, a commentary said that defining the entire US-China relationship in terms of competition was a serious miscalculation.