Greater stability signaled in ties

President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States and his remarks at the White House have sparked wide discussion in Europe over the future of China-US relations and what a more stable relationship between the world's two largest economies could mean for Europe.

At the welcome ceremony on Thursday, Xi called on China and the US to strengthen communication, cooperate with sincerity, and coexist in peace, saying the two countries must hold the line of no conflict and no confrontation.

Shada Islam, founder and director of the Brussels-based think tank New Horizons Project, said there is now more room for a stable and predictable China-US relationship than there was at the height of the recent tariff and technology disputes.

"I foresee more managed competition," Islam said, adding that such an outcome would still be positive "if it can be sustained".

Trade and technology, particularly AI, are likely to remain central to the bilateral relationship, she said, adding that stronger people-to-people exchanges could provide another important source of stability.

Xi announced at the White House ceremony that China will invite 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchanges and study over the next five years. He also said giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang would soon arrive at Zoo Atlanta, describing the creatures as "an envoy of friendship" between the two peoples.

The two giant pandas arrived in Atlanta on Sunday morning and are expected to stay at the zoo for 10 years.

Edouard Xia, a researcher at the Universite catholique de Louvain (UCL) in Belgium, said the signals surrounding Xi's visit and his speech suggested that both Beijing and Washington were seeking to improve the bilateral relationship.

"We are at a very singular moment, when we see clear signals from both the People's Republic of China and the United States of America that they are trying to improve their relationship," Xia said.

He called for more official communication channels to prevent miscalculations, along with common rules in areas where unmanaged competition could create greater risks. AI could become one such field, he said.

Mark Logan, a former member of the British Parliament, also highlighted the distinction between competition and confrontation, saying competition could encourage countries and economies to become more innovative and make greater efforts.

The two countries should avoid the "Thucydides Trap" of a rising power and an established power coming into conflict, he said.

Xia said AI is simultaneously one of the most important areas of China-US technological competition and a field in which the two sides have reasons to cooperate, particularly in managing risks.

"There is a deep understanding by both governments that, at some point, they need to agree on what common regulation of AI would look like," he said.

Formal communication on AI could help reduce the risk of miscalculation, including in sensitive security areas, while differences between the two countries' approaches to the technology mean that reaching common rules will not be easy, he added.

For Europe, a more stable China-US relationship matters well beyond the bilateral relationship itself.

Logan said Europe and the United Kingdom should take particular note of the recent signs of greater engagement between Beijing and Washington and seek more cooperation with China themselves.

The implications go beyond Europe, he said, noting that many countries do not want to be forced to choose between China and the United States.

Xia likewise said greater stability between China and the US would generally make other nations "feel more at ease", given how much competition between the two countries shapes the international system.

Islam said Europe and China may find more space to advance their own agendas, such as on climate and digital regulation.

To realize that opportunity, however, the European Union and China need to take "a cool-headed approach" to resolving their disputes, she said.

Contact the writers at zhangzhouxiang@chinadaily.com.cn