Firsthand knowledge beats false assumptions: China Daily editorial

Although many have used the word "rare" to describe the visit of a bipartisan delegation from the US House of Representatives to Beijing starting on Sunday, as it is the first of its kind since 2019, it continues the cautious but necessary sustaining of the channels of communication between the two countries.

Led by Democratic Representative Adam Smith, the delegation met with Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Sunday. Premier Li made it clear that China welcomes engagement that is rational, respectful and mutually beneficial.

As Li correctly urged in the meeting, the US Congress should adopt an objective view of China and bilateral relations so as to facilitate exchanges and cooperation.

China-US relations have global influence, and maintaining the stable, sound and sustainable development of their ties serves the common interests of both nations and the international community as a whole.

In their telephone talks on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump provided strategic guidance for the healthy development of bilateral ties, agreeing that dialogue and cooperation should be enhanced between the two countries.

US lawmakers wield significant influence over the US' China policy. In recent years, the US Congress — through legislation, budgetary controls and oversight — has helped shape the US posture toward China in trade, investment, industry, technology and security.

Yet many of its measures have been driven by baseless fear, avoidable misunderstanding or ill-advisable misjudgment, rather than being guided by direct, firsthand contact with Beijing. So the US Congress in recent years has often taken positions on China-related issues that are shaped more by domestic politics, ideological prejudice and election cycles rather than rationality, objectivity and pragmatism.

Worse, many US policies against China in related fields that originate from Congress bills and acts have been further intensified in the process of implementation because of the lack of informed and unbiased judgments of China's policies and intentions.

There are many vivid examples showing how misunderstanding can fuel overreaction, and lead to policies that are counterproductive.

Thus the visit by the House delegation will hopefully be conducive to more measured policies regarding China. Face-to-face meetings allow US lawmakers to see with their own eyes China's perspectives, to test claims with facts, to voice US concerns directly, and to weigh China's responses.

Premier Li's call for mutual respect, sincerity and equal treatment underscores that Sino-US relations cannot be well managed if Congress acts under misperceptions, or if domestic political pressures continue to be allowed to lead to unilateral moves without understanding the other side's red lines.

If US lawmakers can work together with their Chinese counterparts to jointly enhance dialogue, strengthen cooperation and avoid overreacting to differences, they can contribute to helping US-China relations move beyond suspicion and confrontation to focus on communication and collaboration.

It is hoped the US lawmakers make good use of their in-person contacts with the Chinese side during their visit to better understand how China seeks to accommodate US concerns and how determined it is to safeguard its own interests; and how the two sides might reconcile their respective concerns without sacrificing their own core principles.

Li's call for the two sides to treat each other with sincerity and to communicate with the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit is not merely a diplomatic rhetoric — but a reminder of what should be the foundation for relations between major countries, particularly in turbulent times.

The principles of win-win cooperation, peaceful coexistence and mutual respect that China has put forward as the necessities for properly handling bilateral ties present a clear proposition: stable Sino-US relations based on those principles should not be optional, but a common pursuit of the two countries.

To maintain stable Sino-US relations entails the US side setting aside its zero-sum mindset and viewing bilateral ties with due pragmatism while responsibly managing differences. It remains to be seen whether the US side, including Congress, is ready to do so.