Yu Yunquan, vice-president of China International Communications Group and president of the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies. [Photo by Zhang Yunbi/chinadaily.com.cn]

A stable China-US relationship is critical not only to the interests of Chinese and American people,?but also to the future of humanity, said Yu Yunquan, vice-president of China International Communications Group and president of the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies.

Yu made the comment in an interview with China Daily on the sidelines of the Dialogue Between China-US Think Tanks in Beijing on Monday, themed "The Future of China-US Relations and Implications for Global Stability and Development".

He noted that the new US administration has taken many new policies, and "uncertainties in China-US relations have increased".

"How Beijing and Washington develop their relationship is crucial to the future of the world order and is under close watch from the international community," he said.

The dialogue was co-hosted by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies and The Carter Center.

Yu said the dialogue "aims to provide a platform for genuine communication and mutual understanding between experts and scholars from China and the US policy study circles".

"We also would like to make it a megaphone for objective and rational voices. In today's dialogue, participants from both sides believed that the two countries share broad common interests and have ample space for cooperation," he said.

This shows that the two countries can become partners that support one another and achieve prosperity together, he added. "They should choose to have dialogue rather than confrontation."

Speaking on bilateral people-to-people and cultural exchanges, Yu said such exchanges "are important channels to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries and have played a unique role in the historical development of China-US relations".

He highlighted the need to expand exchanges between the two peoples, especially among the younger generation, create more platforms and channels, foster a new generation of "China hands" and "America hands".

"We should encourage young people in the two countries to contribute to the healthy development of China-US relations and the well-being of the global community," he said.

"We hope to see more young Americans in our exchange programs, and they can visit China more often, and experience China in more dimensions," he added.