Experts urge better China-US ties to avoid conflict

Experts called on the United States and China to further enhance crisis management and prevent differences from evolving to conflicts, especially in terms of Taiwan question.

They also stressed the significance of true multilateralism, mutual understanding and benefit in the Asia-Pacific as the region is now facing the risk of further diplomatic polarization and exclusiveness.

They made the remarks at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum Webinar held from Thursday to Friday, in which a total of 42 experts from 14 countries and an international organization discussed six major topics related to global cooperation and security.

Michael Swaine, director of East Asia Program at Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, in the US, said Asia-Pacific security and peaceful development are now facing stronger threats because of more and more negative interactions between China and the US.

He said there are some differences on Taiwan between the two countries but the US should uphold the one-China principle and adjust some of its strategies to prevent conflicts in this question.

The US should limit its ties with the island and reduce its navigation activities in the South China Sea, Swaine said, noting that the first step needs "genuine dialogue" between China and the US, with support from other countries in the region on a range of different issues.

"Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit has further reduced the communications between China and the US, we need to better strengthen crisis management," he said. "At the same time, there should be more exchanges between the Chinese and US militaries, making Sino-US relations more resilient."

Moon Chung-in, chairman of the Sejong Institute in Republic of Korea, said the US has been implementing its "Indo-Pacific strategy" to contain China and decoupling with China economically, which has left the ROK in dilemma.

"China is our biggest trade partner so we cannot join the US to decouple with China, but meanwhile we also share a similar value with the US", he said, noting those worrying situations have brought more serious diplomatic polarization.

Moon stressed the importance of promoting cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and urged to uphold a "true multilateralism" that Beijing advocates.

"We need inclusiveness rather exclusiveness in the Asia-Pacific," he said, underlining that it's hard to find ways to peaceful coexistence in an increasingly isolated world.