Toward better bilateral ties

Talks at China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade lay the foundation for smooth and prosperous economic relations

It has long been debated whether trust, or distrust, between China and the United States is on the rise. Those who believe the US is unwilling to accept China's peaceful rise - and thus makes it difficult to maintain a healthy environment for Sino-American trade - have many facts to support their view.

But the last round of China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, which concluded in Washington on Dec 19, has proved the skeptics somewhat wrong by yielding a list of about 50 collaborative items, including reducing the threshold of American dual-use goods' exports to meet the demand of bilateral trade. This is a welcome step in China-US relations, especially when both countries will soon usher in new governments.