Guiding China-U.S. ties for future

"President Hu's upcoming visit has come as a statement of commitment to work through our problems whether they are easy or hard at any given moment," said David Lampton, director of China Studies of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

In recent years, the China-U.S. relationship has experienced twists and turns. As disagreements and frictions on some issues are unavoidable, the key is how to settle them.

Disagreements linger on in issues including U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the exchange rates of Renminbi, or China's yuan, human rights and religion etc. What's more, China's peaceful development spurs more than a few anxious glances in the United States and prompts some rhetoric that describes China as a "potential rival."

Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski, former U.S. national security advisor, had this to say about how the countries should handle their differences.

"The United States and China should not flinch from a forthright discussion of their differences - but they should undertake it with the knowledge that each needs the other," said Brzezinski, who is also an expert on China-U.S. relations.

Lampton pointed out that the past two years have witnessed strained bilateral ties with a force driving a wedge between the two countries.

At this time, Hu's visit is of high significance.

Experts say the United States should adhere to the one-China policy and the three China-U.S. joint communiques and support peaceful development of ties across the Taiwan Strait.

China's exchange rate policy is not the main cause of China-U.S. trade imbalances. Both sides should resolve their trade and economic friction through consultation and the United States should give up its protectionist mentality.

On human rights issues, the two sides should continue to hold dialogues that are based on equality, mutual respect and the principle of non-intervention in internal affairs.

Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said China's rise was not a threat to the United States and urged Washington not to treat China as a rival.

The British-based Economist magazine warned that the best way to turn China into a rival is to regard it as a rival -- but the risk is that any confrontation will lead to damage of China-U.S. ties.

China-U.S. relations are important, yet complex. The relationship has gone through many twists and turns, but is still heading in the right direction. History has told us: the two countries can overcome obstacles if both sides respect each other's core interests and major concerns and adhere to equal dialogue to resolve differences.

This is, in fact, also the key to healthy development of international relations in the new era, and the key to making continuous progress on one of the most important bilateral relations in the world.

Stapleton Roy, former U.S. ambassador to China, said "we can show by the pattern of cooperation between us that other countries will be able to operate in a world where cooperation between the two biggest economies and two of the most powerful countries is creating an international example of how countries having differences can still find sufficient common interests to have their relationship characterized by cooperation rather than conflict."

In the chilly days of January, President Hu is setting out for the United States with high expectations. People have good reason to believe his trip will bring China-U.S. relations onto a new track that will benefit both countries and the whole world.