Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the US from Sept. 22 to 25, which was a great event in the process of building a new model of major-country relations.

The construction of a new model of major-country relations between China and the US faces twin challenges theoretically and practically, with profound changes continuously taking place in the world. There have been queries about whether a new model of major-country ties can be achieved in political and academic circles in both countries.
 

The essence of the new model of major-country ties should be well understood. President Xi has summarized the connotations of the new model of major-country relations as “non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.” Currently, with increasingly frequent exchanges, differences, friction and conflicts of interest among major countries are inevitable. They need to be tackled with appropriate attitudes and methods.
 

Favorable conditions
Today’s new model of major-country ties, with cooperation at the core, is different from that of previous historical periods. The major-country relations featured “confrontation and war” in World War II, “confrontation and competition” during the Cold War, and “competition and cooperation” after the Cold War.
 

Technological development has also deeply impacted the pattern of international relations, especially the major-country relationship.
 

The deterrence provided by nuclear weapons has made major countries rationally avoid wars, in particular nuclear wars.
 

Increasingly prominent global issues that human beings have to jointly face, such as climate change, environmental protection , energy and public health, have compelled major countries to give up zero-sum ways of thought and choose cooperation.  
 

Practical experience
Smooth information communication and signal transmission mechanisms should be built. The key to avoiding conflicts and wars between major countries is to gradually establish cooperation and accumulate trust. Information communication, transfer, acceptance and feedback can play a crucial role in this process. Stable and unobstructed strategic dialogue mechanisms are the main channels for ensuring information transfer.
 

Interest coordination mechanisms should be established. In the new historical context, interests are still the main link of cooperation between major countries. It is necessary to respect each other’s core interests and major concerns in sovereignty, security and development, expand the range and areas of common interests, and cope with each other’s interest divergences through dialogue and compromise.   
 

Bilateral and multilateral diplomatic mechanisms between major countries should be perfected. To achieve the goals of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, major countries may effectively push forward common policy agendas through a series of far-ranging bilateral and multilateral institutional arrangements and resolve or control each other’s divergences. Meanwhile, international institutional arrangements can also regulate the power and behaviors of major countries. Perfecting multilateral and bilateral international mechanisms is therefore an important guarantee for achieving and maintaining cooperation between major countries.
 

Economic and trade contact, as well as contact between societies should be constantly strengthened. Issues in the field of low politics that reflect the public demands of different countries, such as economic development, cultural exchanges and environmental protection, are increasingly covering policy agendas of major countries. Meeting these demands, through economic and trade contact as well as people-to -people exchanges, has become an important part of international communication. Deepened economic and social exchanges and links can lay important foundations for the construction of a new model of major-country relations.

Mechanisms of divergence control, crisis management and conflict resolution should gradually be established. Strategic and economic dialogues between China and the US are not only strategic dialogue mechanisms for strategic and long-term issues with overall importance in the bilateral relations, but also each other’s important mechanisms for controlling divergences. Effective mechanisms of crisis management and conflict resolution will be beneficial for the core interests and major concerns of both sides, enhance mutual information communication and minimize misunderstandings between major countries.
 

President Xi’s state visit to the US has promoted the construction of a new model of major-country ties between China and the US, and officially ushered in the theory and practice of jointly building a new model of major-country ties to China-US relations.
 

The development of international relations has created favorable conditions for a new model of major-country ties. China-US relations should be beneficial to maintaining world peace and stability as well as building a fair, rational and just international order.

 

Han Zhaoying is a professor from the Zhou Enlai School of Government at Nankai University.