Clued-in | High-level engagement, people-to-people exchanges dual foundations of China-U.S. strategic stability

China-U.S. relations have recently witnessed two significant developments.

First, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump paid a state visit to China from May 13 to 15. The two heads of state agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability, providing strategic guidance for China-U.S. relations over the next three years and beyond.

Second, on May 23, Xi replied to a letter from Chinese and U.S. students participating in the "A Shared Voyage: China-U.S. Youth Friendship Program." Xi called on more Chinese and U.S. youth to take up the baton of friendship, learn from each other, progress together, and become "envoys of friendship" bridging the Pacific, encouraging them to make new contributions to the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.

Taken together, the leaders' dialogue and the letter to the young people sketched out a complete picture of what a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability entails: it requires both top-level "hard support" and primary-level "soft connections." Only when the two dimensions reinforce one another can this new positioning of bilateral relations take root quickly and deliver long-term stability.

Strategic stability, above all, depends on being constructive. History has repeatedly demonstrated that major-country relations cannot remain sustainable if they rely solely on crisis management to maintain a minimal state of "non-conflict." Genuine stability requires creating space through cooperation and seeking balance through development.

Under the authorization and guidance of the two heads of state, political and diplomatic channels between China and the United States have remained in communication, helping properly manage differences, address practical issues, enhance mutual understanding, and promote bilateral relations.

Following the consensus reached by the two presidents, China-U.S. economic and trade teams have held multiple rounds of consultations, stabilizing bilateral economic relations while also anchoring market expectations.

The continued functioning of both political-diplomatic mechanisms and economic-trade mechanisms indicates that China and the United States are working to transform "stability" into operational institutional arrangements.

The establishment of mechanisms itself represents an accumulation of strategic mutual trust, creating channels for communication, frameworks for managing differences, and platforms for advancing cooperation.

This constructive approach is precisely what helps avoid the so-called "Thucydides trap."

If dialogues between heads of state serve as the load-bearing walls of strategic stability, then friendship between the peoples constitutes its foundation.

Xi said in the letter to the Chinese and U.S. students participating in the "A Shared Voyage: China-U.S. Youth Friendship Program" that the story of China-U.S. friendship is written by the people, and the future of China-U.S. relations is shaped by the youth.

Today, some American politicians, driven by domestic political considerations, continue promoting "decoupling" and "severing supply chains," attempting to define the entirety of China-U.S. relations through the lens of competition.

Yet the resilience of people-to-people exchanges extends far beyond the political manipulation of a few individuals. Letters exchanged between young people across the Pacific, shared scientific exploration, and common concerns over global challenges such as climate change are quietly dispelling misunderstandings and planting the seeds of friendship.

It is equally important to recognize that these dual foundations are inseparable and mutually reinforcing. Without heads-of-state diplomacy serving as the anchor of bilateral relations, people-to-people exchanges could easily be disrupted by unexpected events. Without deep social foundations built through public engagement, high-level consensus risks remaining little more than an abstract concept.

In the 1970s, "ping-pong diplomacy" famously allowed a small ball to move a big ball, becoming a classic example of how people-to-people friendship paved the way for breakthroughs in China-U.S. relations.

Today, as China-U.S. relations once again face a critical juncture, there remains a need for leaders' dialogue to define boundaries for cooperation and establish guardrails for differences. At the same time, countless young people must also take up the baton of history so that mutual understanding is no longer constrained by prejudice. It is as much a trial of diplomatic wisdom as a test of strategic patience.

Of course, strengthening these dual foundations will not be a smooth process. There will always be forces unwilling to see China-U.S. relations stabilize and improve. Some play with fire on the Taiwan question, while others manipulate issues such as decoupling in an attempt to drag China and the United States toward confrontation.

China's position on this remains clear and firm: the door to strategic stability remains open, but principles and red lines are not negotiable.

During talks with Trump, Xi emphasized that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.

Constructive dialogue bears substance only on the foundation of mutual respect; strategic stability can materialize solely with committed engagement from both sides.

From high-level strategic exchanges between the heads of state to the warm messages conveyed through the letter to the young people, a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability is evolving from conceptual consensus into tangible reality.

As more candid conversations take place across negotiating tables and more sincere letters travel across the Pacific, turning the constructive relationship of strategic stability into reality will become increasingly tangible and achievable. This is precisely the responsibility that two major countries should shoulder for history and for the world.

Wang Peng is a researcher at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology branch of the Hubei Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.