Prior to this month’s China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), Global Times, which is affiliated with People’s Daily, published an editorial outlining Beijing’s goals in the current round of dialogue.
To begin with, the S&ED should pave the way for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the U.S. in September. As a major event concerning Sino-US relations and the last chance for talks during a state visit within Obama’s tenure, the visit will set the tone and lay the foundation for bilateral relations in the post-Obama era.
Second, both China and the U.S. need to cool the heated issues between the two through this high-level comprehensive dialogue. At the top of the agenda should be the South China Sea issue and cyber security.
In addition, the S&ED should be used to abate strategic mutual distrust.
Last, both countries should strive for a breakthrough in setting rules for economic cooperation.
This is the first time [from a historic perspective] that China will deal with the No. 1 power in the world to manage the relations between two powers. We cannot be certain how much the potential harm will be to China based on the other side’s preventive measures and its "containment." Nor are we too clear whether the mistrust between China and the U.S. is something that can be solved or whether it is something that is bound to exist between major powers, and thus has to be accepted and managed. We cannot even be sure whether the U.S.’s irrational reaction to China’s rise can be resolved with reasoning or can only be handled through competition based on strength.
Sources: Global Times and Huanqiu, June 23, 2015
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/928345.shtml
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2015-06/6743089.html