Dialogue needed for better Sino-US ties in post-pandemic era: experts
By Wang Xiangyu and Jiang Yunan
People's Daily app
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Qiu Yong, the president of Tsinghua University and chairman of the World Peace Forum, delivers welcoming remarks at the opening session on June 16. (Photo: World Peace Forum)

Beijing (People's Daily) - Chinese and US experts urged constructive conversations to enhance China-US relations and global cooperation in the post-coronavirus period at the 2020 World Peace Forum (WPF) Wednesday.

"The world had strong expectations for China and the US to work together during the pandemic…China and the US share the responsibility of maintaining peace and promoting global growth and cooperation," said Fu Ying, vice-chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress and former vice minister of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Kevin Rudd, a former prime minister of Australia, said the COVID-19 has led to a weaker global order, and increased levels of anarchy and a dysfunctional multilateral system. Many issues are worthy of "razor-sharp" discussions in China-US relations. "Neither side wants an escalation should a crisis emerge. The only way to avoid that is for senior officials on both sides to meet and have direct exchanges", Rudd said.

Zhu Min, former IMF vice president, stressed the importance of global cooperation in public health issues and economic recovery. He argued that China and the US need to play a role in promoting global economic recovery from the pandemic, and "have a constructive conversation to solve the issues".

Susan Shirk, who was the US deputy assistant Secretary of State from 1997 to 2000, warned that the decoupling of economies and society would be "tragically costly" for both countries.

Wang Jisi, the president of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University, said three bottom lines should be upheld in China-US relations. These are insisting on a peaceful way, maintaining a certain scale of economic and trade cooperation, and safeguarding cultural and social exchanges.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, this year's World Peace Forum was conducted online from June 16 to June 17. Aside from China-US relations, the forum also discussed the world order after the COVID-19 crisis, Asia-Pacific security, and the development of artificial intelligence in the post-pandemic era. The WPF is China's first non-governmental high-level forum on international security. Tsinghua University started the forum in 2012.