Sino-US relations at a critical crossroad

The 40th anniversary of China-US relations is a historical occasion, not least because the relatively steady development of Sino-US ties has made huge contributions to world peace and development. Despite all the ups and downs along the way, the Sino-US partnership has seen plenty of cooperation and achievements in the past four decades.

China and the US worked together to cope with the 2008 global financial crisis, and jointly activated the G20. They also led negotiations on how to best fight climate change resulting in the 2015 Paris Agreement, jointly confronted Ebola in Africa, worked together to overcome numerous conflicts and divergences at the bilateral and multilateral levels, and have had so much to share.

But relations between no two countries can stay unchanged. As the world's two largest economies, the US and China both have to not only cope with new conditions at home, but also meet the new regional and international challenges. While we cannot return to the past, we shouldn't refuse to learn from it and make sure bilateral ties proceed in a healthy and steady manner.