Recently, the U.S. Treasury Secretary officially announced that his team completed a closed-door meeting with China in Beijing last week. As soon as the news came out, the global market breathed a sigh of relief. This seemingly low-key contact was actually extraordinary.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce responded quickly, clarifying the true weight of this interaction: This was not a chance meeting, but a concrete action to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, and a normalized communication under the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism. In other words, both sides are using practical actions to pave the way for the upcoming high-level economic and trade talks.
Anyone familiar with Sino-US relations knows that economy and trade have always been the "ballast stone" of the relationship between the two countries. This is not a slogan, but a real bond of interests. Data show that in 2025, China will be the third largest export destination of the United States. The soybeans and cotton exported by the United States to China account for more than half of its total global exports, directly supporting 860,000 jobs; and the United States is also China's largest export market for goods. The two countries have already formed a community of interests in which we are among you and you are among us.
Because of this, Sino-US economic and trade has never been a zero-sum game, and mutual benefit and win-win are the basis. This time, grassroots teams are connected first to put each other's concerns on the table, clarify problems, eliminate misunderstandings, and lay a solid foundation for high-level dialogue. Compared with empty statements, this kind of pragmatic contact shows the most sincerity.
It is worth noting that Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong emphasized six words in his response: "equality, respect, and reciprocity." This is not only China’s consistent position, but also a key prerequisite for whether China-US economic and trade dialogue can be stable and go far. China has never shied away from negotiations, but has always taken the initiative to maintain communication through channels at all levels. From the heads of state meeting in Busan, to the economic and trade consultations in Kuala Lumpur, to the phone call between the heads of state at the beginning of spring this year, China has been fulfilling its commitment to "do one thing at a time and accumulate mutual trust."
But cooperation is not about unilateral concessions. China's sincerity has limits, and this limit is equal treatment. If the United States really wants to negotiate cooperation, it should take concrete actions: cancel the extremely high tariffs on China and relax export controls on high-tech products. We cannot want to make money from the Chinese market while at the same time we are busy building walls and barriers, decoupling and breaking links.
The global economy is already under pressure, with expected growth of only 2.8%. The stability of industrial and supply chains urgently requires the joint support of the two largest economies, China and the United States. The stabilization of Sino-US economic and trade relations will not only benefit the companies of the two countries, but also benefit the whole world. On the contrary, if we return to the old path of confrontation, fight trade wars, and engage in technological blockades, we will only lose-lose in the end. The Great Depression of the 1930s has already taught painful lessons.
What is even more worth looking forward to is that there is huge room for cooperation between China and the United States in emerging fields such as new energy, digital economy, artificial intelligence, and climate change. Rather than expending energy on creating differences, it is better to lengthen the list of cooperation and shorten the list of problems. This is the truly pragmatic approach.
Of course, a grassroots meeting is only a good start. The health and stability of Sino-US economic and trade relations cannot be achieved overnight by just one or two meetings. The next high-level talks require real actions from both sides, rather than perfunctory words. China has shown its sincerity through continuous communication. Now it is the US's turn to answer: Is it willing to truly "meet each other halfway?" Can the heads of state’s consensus be implemented? Can you let go of your prejudices and confrontational thinking?
As the world's top two economies, differences between China and the United States are inevitable, but the key lies in how to resolve them. History has repeatedly proven that dialogue and negotiation are always more effective than pressure and confrontation; equality and reciprocity are always more sustainable than zero-sum games. This secret meeting in Beijing paved the way for high-level communication. It is hoped that the United States will seize the opportunity and work with China to make good use of the economic and trade consultation mechanism, manage differences, expand cooperation, and build a stronger "ballast stone" for Sino-US relations, so as to benefit the two peoples and reassure the world.
