Balancing trust deficits

China and the US need to make greater efforts to establish mutual understanding and expand exchange channels

Four decades ago, the first visit by former US president Richard Nixon to China resulted in the momentous "handshake across the vast Pacific Ocean". During the visit, the two sides issued the world-famous Shanghai Communiqu, which opened the door to the normalization of Sino-US relations.

Seven years later, on Jan 1, 1979, the issuance of the Joint Communiqu on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations formally announced the commencement of normal relations between China and the United States. Then after hard negotiations on the issue of US arms sale to Taiwan of China, both sides agreed their third and final communiqu, known as the Aug 17 Communiqu.