Forum: Beijing, Washington need to work together

China and the United States are compatible in many respects and those who think they ought to work together need to find their voices, according to speakers at a Hong Kong forum.

"The zero-sum, winner-loser mentality is wrong and naive," said Neil Bush, founder and chairman of the George H.W. Bush Foundation for US-China Relations and son of the former US president. Bush spoke at an event on Wednesday with the theme "US-China Trade and Economic Relations: What Now, What Next".

"The truth is our trade deficit with China is natural - the richer country buys more stuff from the poorer country," he said. As China develops and needs energy, agriculture, and as consumers demand high-end branded products, the deficit will shrink. In the meantime, both countries benefit from bilateral trade.