CGTN: 'Constructive strategic stability': China, US eye new vision for ties

CGTN published an article on the landmark meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. Highlighting the new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability, the article underscored the significance of head-of-state diplomacy in steering bilateral relations and emphasized that both countries stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.

BEIJING, May 14, 2026 /CNW/ -- In a landmark meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Beijing on Thursday, the two heads of state agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability – a framework expected to provide strategic guidance for China-US relations over the next three years and beyond.

During the talks of over two hours at the Great Hall of the People, Xi said he looks forward to working together with the US president to set the course and steer the giant ship of China-US relations, so as to make 2026 a historic, landmark year that opens up a new chapter in bilateral relations.

As China-US relations are among the most important bilateral ties in a world fraught with intertwined changes and chaos, the two countries both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.

New vision

Elaborating on the new vision, Xi said the "constructive strategic stability" should be a positive stability with cooperation as the mainstay, a sound stability with moderate competition, a constant stability with manageable differences, and an enduring stability with promises of peace.

Building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability should not be a mere slogan, but concrete action taken by both sides toward the same goal, he stressed.

Guided by head-of-state diplomacy, China and the US have maintained overall stability. Xi has stressed the significance for the two leaders to navigate through the complex international landscape, and ensure the steady sailing forward of the giant ship of China-US relations.

For more than a year now, the two heads of state have maintained sound communication, including multiple phone calls and a successful meeting in the Republic of Korea's city of Busan, charting the direction and course for bilateral relations.

Notably, since the Busan meeting in October last year, China-US relations have maintained overall stability and a positive momentum, a development widely welcomed by both countries and the international community.

The positive effects of head-of-state diplomacy are especially evident in economic and trade relations. Since 2025, the economic and trade teams on both sides have held multiple rounds of consultations and achieved positive consensuses.

China-US economic ties are mutually beneficial and win-win in nature, Xi told Trump. "Where disagreements and frictions exist, equal-footed consultation is the only right choice."

Echoing Xi's view, Trump said US-China cooperation can accomplish a lot of big and good things for both countries and the world.

Wang Yiwei, professor at Renmin University of China, told CGTN that the most important outcome of the meeting is the new vision. Building a constructive China-US relationship will be defined across four areas of stability, he said. "I believe this marks a new chapter in China-US relations."

Head-of-state diplomacy continues to play a strategic guiding role, Wang added, expressing the belief that the current state of bilateral relations carries important practical significance.

Shared prosperity

More than a dozen US business leaders, including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, accompanied Trump, reflecting continued confidence among American businesses in the Chinese market.

The benefits of bilateral economic cooperation are tangible and deeply interconnected. At the Port of Los Angeles – the largest and busiest container port in the US, approximately 40% of all cargo activities are directly linked to trade with China, who is the port's largest trading partner.

Meanwhile, Chinese and American enterprises continue to pursue "two-way investment" opportunities. For example, Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory rolled out its 4-millionth vehicle in December 2025, with 95% of its components sourced locally from China.

The Gigafactory has established a "4-hour circle" across the Yangtze River Delta, integrating over 400 Chinese first-tier suppliers. Among them, over 60 of these suppliers have been integrated into Tesla's global supply chain, illustrating the deep integration of industrial and supply chains between the two countries.

A recent white paper released by the American Chamber of Commerce in China shows that 52% of surveyed US-funded enterprises in China are expected to be profitable in 2025, up 6 percentage points from the previous year, while more than half of the surveyed companies continued to rank China among their top three global investment destinations.

While meeting with US entrepreneurs, Xi said China's door will only open wider, welcoming the US to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation with China.

This year, both China and the US have important items on their agendas. China has embarked on its 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). The US will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence. Meanwhile, China and the US will, respectively, host the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and the G20 Summit.

As both events bear a significant impact on global economic governance and will inject momentum into global development, the two heads of state voiced mutual support.

As Xi put it, one's success is an opportunity for the other, and a stable bilateral relationship is good for the world.

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SOURCE CGTN

Jiang Simin, [email protected]