Washington should work with Beijing to stabilize the world

Editor's note: For some time, the US administration has shown no sense of responsibility or justice when it comes to international cooperation, especially relations with other countries, and it has continuously pursued confrontation under the illusion that the US is playing and can easily win a zero-sum game. Zhong Sheng, a columnist for People's Daily, comments:

Given that relations between major countries bear on world peace, stability and development, major countries shoulder special responsibilities. In a recent telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump, President Xi Jinping pointed out that as the two largest economies in the world, China and the US should jointly play a leading role in pushing the G20 Osaka Summit to achieve positive outcomes to inject confidence and vitality into the global market. Xi's words highlight the importance of promoting coordinated, cooperative and stable Sino-US relations to the world under the current international economic situation. The boosted global market confidence in the wake of the phone talks also reflects the international community's common aspiration for cooperation between the major countries.

It would be a great achievement if Washington and Beijing could work together to stabilize the world instead of shaking it up. Unfortunately, some in the US neither understand how to "build the world" nor cherish the achievements of bilateral cooperation achieved since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the US 40 years ago. They have repeatedly imposed tariffs or threatened to do so, extending provocations against China to multiple areas.

Major-country relations have a huge bearing on the international system, and the world is increasingly worried about the confrontation and conflict between China and the US. An article in The Atlantic warns that if the US stubbornly pursues confrontation with China, Europe will possibly not agree with Washington's stance, which would bring about more problems to US-Europe relations. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has also called for constructive competition among big countries on several occasions, urging the US to give China a greater say in the formulation of international rules in order to avoid a protracted conflict that forces small countries to take sides between the two largest economies.

The current world is moving toward multipolarity and advancing a new round of economic globalization in which countries become increasingly interconnected and interdependent, and peace, development and win-win cooperation remain the general trend of the times. Against this backdrop, any shortsighted moves taken by some in Washington against this trend will be both unpopular and futile.