China open to enhancing Sino-US relations based on 'three principles': China Daily editorial

Donald Trump's pledge during his campaign to end the Middle East and Ukraine crises in a short time became the focus of media reports and commentaries soon after he won the presidential election on Tuesday. But how Sino-US relations will develop during his second term as US president has been the common focus of a broader group of people, because it concerns the common interests of countries around the world.

Despite its claim to stabilize Sino-US relations, the Joe Biden administration has built or tried to build "small yards and high fences" in the fields of trade and technology in an attempt to "decouple" the US and Chinese economies, urge its allies and partners to take provocative actions against Beijing in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, and form a united front with "like-minded" allies to isolate China from the rest of the world.

Since the new Trump administration will assume office only after he is sworn in as president on Jan 20, if all goes well, the intervening period provides the president-elect with precious time to explore ways to not only address domestic issues but also steer Sino-US relations in a direction that better serves the interests of the two countries.

An objective evaluation of the Biden administration's policy legacy of "competition, cooperation and confrontation" indicates the either win-win or lose-lose nature of Sino-US relations. The development of Sino-US ties since 2017 when Trump began his first term as president should serve to drive home the core message that China and the US gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.

That's also the core message President Xi Jinping sent Trump on Thursday, congratulating him on his election victory and highlighting the fact that a stable, sound and sustainable Sino-US relationship serves the two countries' shared interests and meets the need of the international community.

It is hoped that the US will uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation to intensify dialogue and communication with China, properly manage differences and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, as Xi stressed in the congratulatory message.

The three principles Xi has put forward for the healthy development of Sino-US ties are down-to-earth guidelines for steering the bilateral relationship toward win-win partnership.

These principles demand that both sides form a correct strategic perception of each other; properly handle pressing issues such as those in the South China Sea and Taiwan; and cooperate to unleash their growth potential for economic development.

China and the US have broad common interests in not only combating climate change but also promoting trade, developing technology and safeguarding peace and stability. So, instead of starting from the position of strength, the US should approach bilateral relations keeping in mind common interests and mutual benefit.

Intensified dialogue and communication will help the two sides to realize that their common interests far outweigh their differences, and that the common interests can be expanded and differences narrowed down through talks.

China and the US, which are partners not rivals, should become a source of peace and stability, and a driver of development for the world. China's US policy has been consistent. While the two countries, as well as Sino-US relations, have undergone great changes over the past years, China remains committed to developing healthy and sustainable relations with the US based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. It also remains committed to firmly safeguarding the country's sovereignty, security and development.

It's time the US realized that China's development is beneficial for the American economy and people, and vice versa, started seeing each other's development as an opportunity rather than a challenge, and explored together with China the ways to achieve common development.