The sixth round of High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange (CPE) will be held in Washington. Since the consultation mechanism was established five years ago, it has achieved outstanding results and implemented nearly 300 measures which have helped to give further momentum to transforming the Sino-US relationship into a new type of relationship between major powers, according to a People's Daily commentary on Thursday. 

People-to-people exchanges will not only makes bilateral ties between the two countries more resilient, but also help to prevent or alleviate any negative impact of unexpected events on the bilateral relationship, and lay a strong base for the government's decisions, says Vice-Minister of Education Hao Ping, who is also the CPE China Coordinator, in the commentary.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong likens the unique role played by people-to-people exchange in Sino-US bilateral relations to that of a "pathfinder" and "road builder", which provides a clear and vivid image.

As one of the landmark events marking the establishment of Sino-US diplomatic relations, 52 Chinese students went to the United States and eight American students came to China at the end of 1978, the forerunners of a process through which two peoples learn from each other and engage in friendly exchange.

Sino-US ties have become world's most important, complex and influential bilateral ties. Positive interaction will benefit both peoples and promote common development. It will also have a tremendous and far-reaching impact on international peace and stability as well as helping to improve the international order and give it a better balance.

Chinese President Xi Jinping advocates that the two countries should work according to the principle of "He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man" and the wisdom of "crossing the river by feeling for the stones" to break the curse of inevitable conflict between emerging powers and established powers. The two countries should develop a new type of relationship between major powers, without conflict and confrontation, and characterized by mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

Throughout the highs and lows of Sino-US relations over the past 30 years and more, people-to people exchanges have always been one of the most stable, productive and promising areas.

Currently, individual exchanges between the two countries exceeded four million per year. In 2014 the number of Chinese students studying in the United States reached 490,000, while the number of the US students studying in China over the past four years has topped 100,000. At present, a total of 107 Confucius Institutes have been established in the United States. All of this serves to indicate that the new Sino-US relationship has a wide and solid base of public participation and strong strategic support.

As power and influence shifts in the Sino-US Strategic Situation, and increasing friction in economy and trade deepens the complexity of the bilateral strategic game, people-to-people exchanges will downplay the conflict, act as a restraint on confrontation, and bring the two peoples closer in this critical period, according to the commentary. 

This article was edited and translated from 《人文交流，为中美关系注入更多正能量》, source: People's Daily